GENERAL INFORMATION:
LOON OUTDOORS is a renowned American company specialized in the creation of products that revolve around fly fishing. We at 1000flies believe in the validity of their materials and in our store you will find various products of this famous brand.
Specifically today we wanted to present you the whole series of floatants, all those products that serve to increase the buoyancy of your dry flies.
All floatants, not only those of LOON OUTDOORS, are divided into 3 large families: oil, silicone (spray or gel) and powder. Each of these products has different characteristics and often generate many doubts, especially among less experienced fly fishermen.
Before going into the specifics of each LOON OUTDOORS product we will give a brief overview of the main technical characteristics of oil, silicone and dust. We also remind you that for an easier use during the fishing action it is possible to attach the floatants to the vest through the appropriate bottle holders.
Oil:
A good floatant oil is generally extracted from the glands on the tail of water birds. These glands secrete an oily liquid which is then spread over the animal's entire plumage through its beak to make it waterproof. Generally you will find the words "CDC oil" on the product, which means that it has been extracted from the glands of ducks.
This natural oil is very effective in making your dry fly float. To apply it just drop a drop of product on the fly and rub it gently with your forefinger and thumb to cover the whole artificial, or moisten your fingers directly with a drop of oil and then gently touch the fly's hackles.
Although it is an extremely good product, its weak point is the temperature changes that alter its density. In fact it will tend to be more liquid in summer and denser in winter.
The oil, if applied sparingly, can also be used successfully on delicate CDC flies.
Silicone (Spray or Gel):
Silicone is a good alternative to CDC oil. It can be in the form of spray or gel. Silicone gel should be applied to the fly using the same process as we have seen for oil. The advantage that silicone gel has on the oil is that it does not undergo any variation in density with the change of temperature, keeping its characteristics unchanged both in summer and winter.
However, silicone gel is not particularly suitable for delicate CDC flies because it tends to knead hackles. For this kind of flies it is preferable to use oil or powder, if you want to use silicone also on CDC flies it is preferable to use spray.
Quality gels and sprays do not leave halos in water, even in slow and flat water situations, and are therefore better than poor silicone products, both in terms of effectiveness in fishing and for the respect of environment.
Powder:
Floatant powders are a more recent invention and offer excellent results on all types of artificial flies, including CDC.
Applying these powders is very quick and easy. Generally they are contained inside jars that allow the insertion of the artificial fly still connected to the fishing leader, once inserted, just ajar the lid, without closing it completely to avoid damaging the leader, and shake gently for a few seconds. Once the fly has been removed from the jar, simply remove the excess powder by blowing it away or making a few false casts.
One of the positive aspects that this system brings with it is that during the waterproofing process you will never touch the fly, and this is an advantage when fishing with very delicate flies like CDC flies, because you are guaranteed to always have perfect presentations!
Adsorbent beads:
Among the various floatant products you may come across a product that comes in the form of small beads. Although they are not a real floatant, they do a job of preparing the artificial fly to make it suitable for the application of the various floatants available. These spheres in fact have the task of drying the artificial fly, absorbing all the humidity. In short, they play the role of a classic amadou.
Their use is simple and fast, and is identical to what we have seen for the application of powdered floatants, so just insert the fly in the bottle wet and still connected to the fishing leader, ajar the lid and shake for a few seconds. At the end of this short procedure the fly will be dry and ready for the application of the floatant. Inside the bottle there are small crystals that change colour when the beads are saturated with humidity, warning you when it is time to replace the product.
AQUEL:
One of LOON OUTDOORS' best selling floatants!
- Silicon Gel
- Suitable for all types of dry fly
- Stable at any temperature
- Will not leave oil slick on water
- Official Floatant of the U.S.A. team.
- Loon Outdoors' best-selling product
- Extremely easy and fast to use
To go to the product click here: AQUEL
LOCHSA:
LOCHSA is also suitable for all types of dry fly, but has been optimized for application on delicate CDC flies, as it has a less dense consistency than AQUEL and does not knead hackles.
- Silicon Gel
- Suitable for all types of dry fly
- Particularly suitable for CDC flies
- Stable at any temperature
- Will not leave oil slick on water
- Extremely easy and fast to use
To go to the product click here: LOCHSA
FLY SPRITZ 2:
To apply the FLY SPRITZ 2 correctly, just spray it a couple of times on the dry fly. Being water based it is completely safe both for the hands and the environment. Once applied the product and well let it dry by making a few false casting.
- Water-based Floatant
- Suitable for all types of dry fly
- Gentle on flies in CDC
- Safe for both hands and environment
- Will not leave oil slick on water
- Extremely easy and fast to use
To go to the product click here: FLY SPRITZ 2
TOP RIDE:
The TOP RIDE is a powder floatant with a double effect. You can in fact insert the artificial fly still wet, after application it will come out dry and waterproofed, ready to fish. The only trick will be to remove the excess powder by blowing it away or making some false cast.
- Dual effect: dries and waterproofs the dry fly
- Suitable for all types of dry fly
- Also suitable for delicate flies in CDC
- Wide opening for flies, even large ones
- Will not leave oil slick on water
- Extremely easy and fast to use
To go to the product click here: TOP RIDE
BLUE RIBBON:
The BLUE RIBBON is a powder floatant suitable for all types of dry fly, but it has been designed especially for delicate CDC flies. Unlike TOP RIDE, BLUE RIBBON does not absorb humidity. It will therefore be necessary to use EASY DRY or a classic amadou beforehand to dry the artificial fly well. Ours flies dryers.
- Floatant powder
Suitable for all types of dry fly
Also suitable for delicate flies in CDC
Dry the fly before use
Wide opening for flies, even large ones
Will not leave oil slick on water
Extremely easy and fast to use
To go to the product click here: BLUE RIBBON
LOON DUST:
The LOON DUST is a very good floatant and has the peculiarity to be applied also to emerging flies and nymphs. In fact, a second characteristic is to give brightness to the fly, and underwater it produces bubbles very similar to those produced by the real insect during hatching. The LOON DUST should be applied to the artificial fly with the appropriate brush.
- Dual function: floatant and brilliancy
- Suitable for all types of dry fly
- Also suitable for delicate flies in CDC
- Can be applied using the brush
- Realistic bubble effect on nymphs and wet flies
- Dry the fly before use
- Will not leave oil slick on water
- Extremely easy and fast to use
To go to the product click here: LOON DUST
FLY DIP:
The FLY DIP is a liquid floatant with dual functionality, in fact it is not necessary to dry the artificial fly before dipping it. Applying it to the fly is very simple, just open the jar and dip the artificial. It dries very quickly, however, you only need to make a few false castings to make sure it is completely dry. The FLY DIP is 100% safe for the environment and the fish.
- Liquid Floatant
- Suitable for any type of dry fly
- Also applicable on wet flies
- Also great for CDC flies
- Dries quickly
- Odorless
- Will not leave oil slick on water
- 100% safe for fish and the environment
To go to the product click here: FLY DIP
EASY DRY:
The EASY DRY is not a real floatant, but is used to dry the fly, preparing it for the application of the various floating products available. The beads contained inside are extremely absorbent and completely remove humidity from the artificial fly. As we have already seen, just insert the fly still connected to the fishing leader, ajar, not completly, and shake gently for a few seconds. When the blue crystals inside will turn pink it means that the absorbent beads are saturated with humidity and it will be time to replace the product.
- Dries the dry fly in a few moments
- Suitable for any type of dry fly
- Wide opening for large flies
- Blue indicators that turn pink when it is time to replace the product
To go to the product click here: EASY DRY