# 2 Dress or not to Dress??



## jonrconner (May 20, 2015)

Definitely dress, lately using Umpqua Russ Peake dressing, very slick, easy to apply, I don’t know how much distance it might add, but it makes casting a lot easier.
JC


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## Rick hambric (Jun 24, 2017)

Depends on the line. My Cortland flats taper, most definitely. Sa amplitude, not so much, only a good cleaning. I will use 100% silicone for dressing.


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## BM_Barrelcooker (May 4, 2011)

Ya'll gonna laugh at my country ways but I just use a little veggie oil.

Orvis brand of course.


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## SomaliPirate (Feb 5, 2016)

I've been using the Scientific Angler stuff, but I still can't cast worth a damn.


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## Rick hambric (Jun 24, 2017)

SomaliPirate said:


> I've been using the Scientific Angler stuff, but I still can't cast worth a damn.


finally an honest man amongst us!!!


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## Bonecracker (Mar 29, 2007)

Where's Ted/Backwater when you need him?? I was hoping he would give up his super secret fly line dressing that is only privy to the likes of Mills and Fordyce!!


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## eightwt (May 11, 2017)

Have been using Umpqua Glide. Works ok. Wash lines after each use. Apply dressing with fingers.


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## Zika (Aug 6, 2015)

http://lineandlure.com


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## el9surf (Dec 23, 2008)

I use the Rio dressing on rare occasion. Honestly I'm pretty bad about line upkeep. I have never felt like I was going to gain substantial distance by dressing my line. I will clean them once in a while but that's usually about it. Then again my lines are either in a bucket or in the water, so they don't get all the deck grime that some people seem to have.


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## crboggs (Mar 30, 2015)

Yes...this is real and it works nicely.


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## FlyBy (Jul 12, 2013)

SomaliPirate said:


> I've been using the Scientific Angler stuff, but I still can't cast worth a damn.


Thanks, now I know what my problem is.


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## FlyBy (Jul 12, 2013)

crboggs said:


> Yes...this is real and it works nicely.


But for what?


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## SomaliPirate (Feb 5, 2016)

Y'all think I'm joking. I can't cast to save my life. I'll gladly trade a day on my skiff and a cold beer for anyone in the nature coast area who wants to tell me how screwed up my cast is and how to fix it.


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## BM_Barrelcooker (May 4, 2011)

I can do the first part.


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## ol' superskiff (Oct 22, 2015)

Just a friendly suggestion, if you use sunscreen scrub it off your fingers after applying, it will turn any line into peanut butter eventually.


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## Rick hambric (Jun 24, 2017)

SomaliPirate said:


> Y'all think I'm joking. I can't cast to save my life. I'll gladly trade a day on my skiff and a cold beer for anyone in the nature coast area who wants to tell me how screwed up my cast is and how to fix it.


Calling @Backwater


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## Rick hambric (Jun 24, 2017)

SomaliPirate said:


> Y'all think I'm joking. I can't cast to save my life. I'll gladly trade a day on my skiff and a cold beer for anyone in the nature coast area who wants to tell me how screwed up my cast is and how to fix it.


I can fix you with a 12wt, half rotten tangerine, and a wrist brace from Walgreens. Oh a 12pack of Paulaner heifeweizen


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## Rick hambric (Jun 24, 2017)

Just make sure to wear your favorite shirt.


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## T Bone (Jul 24, 2014)

SomaliPirate said:


> Y'all think I'm joking. I can't cast to save my life. I'll gladly trade a day on my skiff and a cold beer for anyone in the nature coast area who wants to tell me how screwed up my cast is and how to fix it.


I am on the nature coast and would be glad to help. Watch me cast and you will feel much better about yourself. 

To the OP, I use Orvis Zip Juice Cleaner which is a dressing/cleaner combo. I use it every couple of months or so depending on how much I fish and where I’m fishing


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## Backwater (Dec 14, 2014)

Bonecracker said:


> Where's Ted/Backwater when you need him?? I was hoping he would give up his super secret fly line dressing that is only privy to the likes of Mills and Fordyce!!


Wait.... Why you askin me. Go ask Harry!


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## mightyrime (Jul 18, 2016)

With my floating trout lines absolutely as when they get dirty after a few trips they loose some buoyancy. I clean them first with the natural wet wipes and then dress with the scientific angler stuff.

For my saltwater lines I only clean them with wet wipes after maybe every 5 uses. There is a good amount of crud that comes off them. I have never dressed a line for more slickness. Taking casting lessons from a very good caster and lots of practice will help much more than dressing. 

And as said above sunscreen and bug spray kills fly lines...except airflo which is polyurethane and seems bomb proof


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## Bonecracker (Mar 29, 2007)

I think you can see from this image that her fly line is properly dressed! Bad casting







form I know but for some reason I could forgive her!


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## Zika (Aug 6, 2015)

She could flail away on the bow of my skiff any time she wants.


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## flatzcrazy (Feb 5, 2013)




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## Backwater (Dec 14, 2014)

Zika said:


> http://lineandlure.com
> 
> View attachment 25147


That looks interesting Zika. Have you compared it to other dressings? You have any idea what it's made of?


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## bananabob (Jun 3, 2015)

pogie oil?


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## Zika (Aug 6, 2015)

Backwater said:


> That looks interesting Zika. Have you compared it to other dressings? You have any idea what it's made of?


The FDA doesn't require ingredient listings on tackle products, so not exactly sure what it is.  Do know the inventor holds advance degrees in molecular chemistry. From the bottle, feature copy says it has anti-corrosive properties, non-toxic and environmentally safe, high UV screen and no oily residues or scents as with silicone oils. Can also be used on sunglasses and electronic display screens. 

I like the spray application. Have used Umpqua's Glide gel and the L&L does a better job. Works well on mono, flouro and braided lines too. Made in U.S. and an 8-ounce bottle lasts forever. Haven't found it in local shops but it is available on-line.


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## lemaymiami (Feb 9, 2007)

I do dress my fly lines - but only as needed... We use the Scientific Anglers cleaning pads and their line dressing (all kept in an old white cotton sock - which is my polishing cloth for the last step....). Any time my angler or I note that the line is dirty or getting sticky the first step is to cast as much of it into the water - then strip off all of the remaining fly line into the water - then I go over every inch of it with the cleaning pad twice (up and down) - then while it' still wet a slight drop of line dressing on the sock and it's rubbed into the line up and down... Finally the finishing touch is to polish it dry with that sock -then it's ready for use. I try to never leave the slightest bit of extra line dressing on any fly line, by the way since any excess is a dirt magnet...

I once read something from Chico Fernandez - he claims to go over his fly line as much as twice a day... Me.. once again only when needed.


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## Backwater (Dec 14, 2014)

Bonecracker, I just copied and pasted the same thing on another thread here on this flyboard where a guy was having problems with his fly line making noise when he shoots the line with his Scott Merdian.

So to answer your OP directly, YES! DRESS! I dress every time I go fly fish. besides, you wouldn't want to see my naked ass out there on the bow of the boat!  Jk.

Ok then, always keep in the back of your head that getting "dressed" everyday with new "dressing", doesn't mean your clean! Lol... So try cleaning your lines once in a while, in a warm bath with a bit of mild dish soap (Dawn will work) and some warm water. Run it thru a small dish rag several times and then rinse thoroughly. Depending on how many times you fish, from once a month to once a qtr.

Next, get some really good fly line dressing (i.e. SA's AST, Rio and Glide, the little red box thing... as everyone else has agreed on) or use the food grade silicon spray or the Line and Lure Spray that Zika is mentioning. Heck, in a pinch, I've used Armorall, coconut oil, cooking spray, waxed it... I'd also put some on a small cloth and wipe the inside of all your rod guides and snake guides, including your tip top. I still use the Glide, but also use Silicone I found in a small bottle with a controlled spout, were I can put some on a small cloth and put the line thru the cloth several time. I'm also working on something new.... That's all I can say about that! Lol

Basically, your fly line is continuing to dry out and you need to keep it lubed on a regular basis. Actually, many different rods (actually the guides) will start to have problems with dirty and dry fly line. I ALWAYS make it a point to lightly stretch and dress the line before I start out fishing for that day. Do that, and you'll see wonders with your casting and fly line management, each and every day you fly fish. That's the deal folks! Don't think your favorite line will stay clean and have plenty of lubricant to shoot thru smoothly, cause it wouldn't. It's not the fly rod's fault, it's not your casting going bad, it's your fault for not keeping your fly line cleaned on a regular basis and dressed. You'll also be surprised how much longer your fly line will last. Maybe 2 to 3 times longer than if you didn't dress it or only did it every once in a while.

No need to polish your guides if you rinse your rod guides each time you go fishing (of course, your reel as well) AND, keep your line cleaned once in a while and dressed every time you go out and fish.

BTW Bone, I don't know what those guys use. I'll have to ask them. 

Ted Haas


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## Megalops (Oct 23, 2011)

Has anyone ever used RainEx?


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## Bonecracker (Mar 29, 2007)

Thanks Capt Lemay and Ted for all the great information!


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## sevenweight (Sep 3, 2015)

I check the Crud Factor on the head between trips by pulling a few feet through a white cloth. If it shows crud, I run warm water into a utility sink with some mild soap and strip the line in to soak. I then pull it through the cloth to clean and dry it. Next, I spray some 303 Protectant onto a dry portion of the cloth and pull the line through. Finally, I reel the line through a dry portion of the cloth to polish and dry it. Sounds like a lot of steps, but other than the 15-minute soak, it only takes a few minutes per line.


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## permitchaser (Aug 26, 2013)

Aacardo line dressing silicon. Comes in a green plastic tub with an applicator pad. I keep it in my tackle box and on the boat that green tub gets hot and when I get home its hard to tell where the applicator pad is


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## Backwater (Dec 14, 2014)

Megalops said:


> Has anyone ever used RainEx?


LOL, Bro, I thought about it, just last week I was wondering it would work. Never tired it, tho I have some. Heck, if I knew Jhery curl gel or KY jelly was the best stuff out there for dressing fly lines, it'd be use that!


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## Megalops (Oct 23, 2011)

I’ve done it twice so far. Fly line is still intact, lol.

http://globalflyfisher.com/fish-better-gear/flyline-maintenance-101

Not my idea by the way. Ted, let me know if you want to part with a poon stick.


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## SomaliPirate (Feb 5, 2016)

I tried the silicone spray this weekend in the yard. It worked pretty damn well.


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## GG34 (May 2, 2014)

I just tried the silicon spray and it works great. Anyone think there would be any kind long effects of that spray on your reels? Excessive build up maybe?


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## texasag07 (Nov 11, 2014)

what silicone spray are you using? Like CRC food grade silicone or what? Where did you get it?


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## Bonecracker (Mar 29, 2007)

texasag07 said:


> what silicone spray are you using? Like CRC food grade silicone or what? Where did you get it?


I concur!


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## GG34 (May 2, 2014)

Yep. CRC food grade silicon spray. I ordered it from Wal-Mart. 5.88 delivered.


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## Cronced (Nov 18, 2016)

SomaliPirate said:


> Y'all think I'm joking. I can't cast to save my life. I'll gladly trade a day on my skiff and a cold beer for anyone in the nature coast area who wants to tell me how screwed up my cast is and how to fix it.


If you're like most people, your back cast is fine and your presentation cast needs work. Just make your presentation cast look like your back cast. Most people keep their rod tip rather high all through false casting, then "aim" on the last stroke, dropping their tip and making a big ugly loop. Keep your rod tip high just like the rest of your casting.

If this isn't it, I'm sorry!

Also, I could just as easily have said "Watch Lefty Kreh videos on youtube "


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## Rick hambric (Jun 24, 2017)

This works well, comes in 3 sizes on amazon.


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## SomaliPirate (Feb 5, 2016)

Cronced said:


> If you're like most people, your back cast is fine and your presentation cast needs work. Just make your presentation cast look like your back cast. Most people keep their rod tip rather high all through false casting, then "aim" on the last stroke, dropping their tip and making a big ugly loop. Keep your rod tip high just like the rest of your casting.
> 
> If this isn't it, I'm sorry!
> 
> Also, I could just as easily have said "Watch Lefty Kreh videos on youtube "


You're absolutely right, it's the presentation that screws me up.


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## Backwater (Dec 14, 2014)

Rick hambric said:


> This works well, comes in 3 sizes on amazon.


You have to be careful that the silicone spray has no petroleum based products in it, which may break down the PVC coating. The food grade silicone products have no problems with the PVC coating on the fly line. But I have some silicone lubricant in a small dropper bottle that has also petroleum products in it. So those can cause problems with the PVC coating.


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## Backwater (Dec 14, 2014)

texasag07 said:


> what silicone spray are you using? Like CRC food grade silicone or what? Where did you get it?





GG34 said:


> I just tried the silicon spray and it works great. Anyone think there would be any kind long effects of that spray on your reels? Excessive build up maybe?


Yep! This is what I've been using.










https://www.ebay.com/itm/CRC-Food-G...431183&hash=item213a6d3ce4:g:5bgAAOSwjpRavpJr

I use to just spray it on a soft cloth and pull my fly line through it several times. But I admit I saw that video last year of Flip spraying it directly on the reels, so after I dress the whole fly line, the night before I go fish, I'll also give it a few squirts while it's all reeled back on the fly reel. I haven't found the need to re-apply it during the day I'm fishing. However, I dress the line either the night before or the day of my fishing trip, before I start casting for the morning. I'll also pack a small cloth soaked in either silicone spray or a good dressing like Glide and keep in a small ziplock, just incase I forget to dress it or conditions has it that the line starts to feel too dried (maybe older line) or I pick up a rod that I forgot to dress. I'm not a fan of carrying that large can with me in the boat, so unless I dress and spray the line on the reel the night before, I'm using the cloth with the spray (store in the ziplock) in the morning on the deck of the boat.

I lightly spray down my reels with it too, including my spinning reels and other offshore gear, as well as spraying all my rod guides and reel seats periodically. It coats them to prevent salt from getting to it.

What I like about this silicone spray is it tends to have an aerosol smell to it, but then the liquid evaporates and leaves a dry coating on it that is slick, instead or a wet gooey coating that tends to pick up silts and grit.

I'm putting together a near dry launch trailer and sent a text to Backbone (here on the forum) and asked what he had on the bunks of his low slung trailer he uses for his HB sled (remembering he just pushed the boat off the trailer almost dry with one hand, several times we fished together). He said he used a spray that smelled like aerosol and thought it was silicone based called "Liquid Rollers" and mentioned that it was so slick, he only used it on the back half of his carpeted bunks. So I just bought another can of the CRC Food Grade Silicone just for that purpose, to see how it does. This trailer only has carpeted bunks on it, since it's only a temporary sled. Otherwise, I'd be using nylon skids on them.

Ted Haas


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## Backwater (Dec 14, 2014)

I found a Rain-X spray bottle I have in the garage, but it clearly says to be cautious about using on plastics. So I read a few threads on other fly fishing forums that discuss this and some people mentioned that not all Rain-X products are safe for plastics and some are. The small bottle of Rain-X in the blog that Megalops posted is a little squirt bottle, so I'll be looking for that in the store and see what it says. If I find the right one, I'll get it and compare it to the silicone spray I use.

Ted


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## TheAdamsProject (Oct 29, 2007)

I use the rio cleaner pads and then the food grade silicone but not in the aerosol form, they have one a bunch of scuba people use in a little pump spray bottle. I can control it a little better.


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## flatzcrazy (Feb 5, 2013)

texasag07 said:


> what silicone spray are you using? Like CRC food grade silicone or what? Where did you get it?





nativejax said:


> I use the rio cleaner pads and then the food grade silicone but not in the aerosol form, they have one a bunch of scuba people use in a little pump spray bottle. I can control it a little better.


Do you what the brand is that comes in the pump spay bottle?


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## EvanHammer (Aug 14, 2015)

flatzcrazy said:


> Do you what the brand is that comes in the pump spay bottle?


Look for Trident food grade silicone on Amazon


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## TheAdamsProject (Oct 29, 2007)

flatzcrazy said:


> Do you what the brand is that comes in the pump spay bottle?


https://www.amazon.com/Trident-Grade-Silicone-Snorkel-Spearfishing/dp/B001O75238/


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## flatzcrazy (Feb 5, 2013)

nativejax said:


> https://www.amazon.com/Trident-Grade-Silicone-Snorkel-Spearfishing/dp/B001O75238/


Thanks!


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## Danimal (May 17, 2018)

Flip Pallot recommends, food grade silicon spray. Just a shot to the line on the reel every so often.


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## Backwater (Dec 14, 2014)

Backwater said:


> Yep! This is what I've been using.
> I'm putting together a near dry launch trailer and sent a text to Backbone (here on the forum) and asked what he had on the bunks of his low slung trailer he uses for his HB sled (remembering he just pushed the boat off the trailer almost dry with one hand, several times we fished together). He said he used a spray that smelled like aerosol and thought it was silicone based called "Liquid Rollers" and mentioned that it was so slick, he only used it on the back half of his carpeted bunks. So I just bought another can of the CRC Food Grade Silicone just for that purpose, to see how it does. This trailer only has carpeted bunks on it, since it's only a temporary sled. Otherwise, I'd be using nylon skids on them.
> 
> Ted Haas


Update!!

Sprayed a full can of that CRC Food Grade Silicone (delivered under $6) on all 4 carpeted bunks on the low slung trailer that I just customized for ultra low water launching. Even if the hubs are not underwater, I can unhook the winch buckle and with just one hand, can easily slide the boat off the trailer with just one push, while holding a bow line to retrieve the boat. On the flip side, it loads like a dream, again, without the hubs being under water (just a bit of the 2 inner center bunks underwater). The trailer is just level enough to keep the boat from sliding back off when I walk up front to hook the winch strap on the bow eye. Even in super shallow water, the boat winches on with ease. You just can't walk on the bunks or you'll bust yer a*s!  I'm guessing like anything, I'll have to re-apply a new can, prolly once a year.

Btw, I shoot that silicone in my door locks and hinges around the house, door seals, sliding glass doors on the track and rollers. The stuff works amazing and my front door lock and latch has never worked so easily.

Again, the stuff is amazing on my fly lines and I haven't noticed any buildup on my reels or rod guides.

Whoops!!! I'm out! Time to order another can! 

Ted Haas


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## Guest (May 22, 2018)

Most high quality lines don’t need dressing if you clean them after using them to remove salt residue.


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