Just to toss in another couple of cents, when this topic came up on another list it started out as someone having a question about WD40 on flies. I think it was someone on the VFB list who mentioned some guides do it to mask the scent of tobacco, insect repellent, suntan lotion, etc and that it works best mainly in lakes that have a lot of outboard boat traffic since the fish get used to the scent of petroleum byproducts in the water. Other things mentioned were putting anise oil on your hands to mask scent or using anise or clove scented soap. Don't know if this stuff is an attractant to fish or would just cover up smells that might put them off. One of the guys said he just takes some river bank mud and rubs it on his hands and the fly (not dries!) to hopefully make the fly seem more natural to the local waters. Other guys mentioned rubbing fish slime from the first catch on the fly, probably this is why flies that have caught a fish already seem to work better. Just curious as to what other tricks VFB'ers might use.
-John
Richard Zieger <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
I don't add attractants to my flies. But I do use every fly of a pattern
that I have with me when the fish are hiting. I believe that the hit the
fly better after it has caught one or two fish than it did before.
I can use 3 or 4 dozen flies in one day because I am chainging themso much.
But it seems to help on the slow days by fising a used and a new fly.
Rick
