[bonefish41]

Originally Posted by chuck145

In a previous post I questioned the use of egg patterns and one of the responses was that there was no harm in using egg patterns as long as they were not dipped in salmon egg juice. Is this the same as using the Berkley line of scents and what's wrong with using the scents. My fishing is primarily catch and release; but, occasionally if my family gets a hankering for fish to eat, I will keep enough for a fish fry.

Side note: I think this is a great forum; but, I am surprised by the lack of activity. Maybe it because I have so much to learn and I am just eating this stubb up and the rest of you guys/gals are pros. If so, bear with me.

It's your thing do what you wana do...it ain't fly fishing if it's sented..that said in me younger years I thought I was the best bonefish that day but I recalled my guide after each catch asking to see the fly...later I discovered that a little crab juice goes along way in the islands

[DJones]

"A Fly Fisher's Ten Commandments"
By Alan Pratt

From Pardon My Castcast
Published by Frank Amato Publications, Inc.
"I. Thou shalt not adulterate thy fly with bits of rotating metal, nor juice of egg, nor segment of worm.

[hardhat]

I guess you could say that I use scents. I found that some of the dry fly dressings have a petroleum smell to them. I also thought that this could potentially do damage to streams or fish. Because of this I break open fish oil tablets and add it to the regular fly dressing. It ends up being about a 50% 50% mix. I tought that it would be a good idea for somebody to actually make a product like this. I do not feel that this makes the fly an attractant though.

[GeorgeMcFly]

don't think ya need any in my opinion. fly fishing is presentation not smell. plus the fish don't smell a dry fly or most kinds of flies around they just munch um up. most river fish only have a few seconds to decide if they wanna eat or not. they don't usually have time to smell what the fly fisher is cooking. . some people say even using a san juan worm isn't fly fishing or if you use a fly to imitate a regular earthworm. i say do what ever you feel. you got to look yourself in the mirrior the next day and say you fly fish.

[fyshstykr]

Originally Posted by hardhat

I guess you could say that I use scents. I found that some of the dry fly dressings have a petroleum smell to them. I also thought that this could potentially do damage to streams or fish. Because of this I break open fish oil tablets and add it to the regular fly dressing. It ends up being about a 50% 50% mix. I tought that it would be a good idea for somebody to actually make a product like this. I do not feel that this makes the fly an attractant though.

I would think that fish oil would be detremental in the effectiveness of the floatant.I could see using it on nymphs to mask the human scent though.

I agree that the majority of floatants and sinks have a chemical base smell to them and that would also include the various shake desicant powders that leave a fine dust on the flies, this stuff is foreign to nature.

Rene Harrop talks about this very subject in his book "Trout hunter, the way of an angler", he also markets a cdc oil floatant that in his opinion smells more like things found in the water column and in nature than unnatural chemical add-ons.

[FlyGal]

I would guess the root of majority fly fishers is that we want to believe that our (human kind) creations are so convincing to fish that they don't need scent.

For the most part they are....I think scent only plays a roll when your fly confidence is still being constructed.

Eventually you feel adding scent just gets in the way of rising fish.

[jimw]

when i open my fly box all i smell is nail polish!!

[aroostookbasser]

...glad you didn't say your shoes.

Hey guys and gals.........sardine oil on a streamer. Maine guides trick for trolling Northern lakes at ice out.

[FrankB2]

Using a scent is admitting defeat, and handing victory to the baitfisherman.
My fly patterns work well without any scent. Adding scent moves your fly
into the Gulp rubber worm category, and out of fur and feathers. I fish
crankbaits and rubber worms, but not much now. I was shocked to see
that almost all rubber worms are now scented. If you're going to go
that route, just get a real worm. Wrangling a caddis and tying it to a hook
would be interesting to watch...LOL!

Getting skunked teaches lessons. Patterns will be adjusted and added,
and sizes changed. Presentation will get the attention it deserves, and
your eyes will improve for sight-fishing. Smearing on an attractor scent
will make any pattern work; sloppy presentations will still spook fish, but the
scent will ooze out and draw them back, etc. Scents won't make you a better
fly angler.

If your starving, and the fish aren't biting, that might be a different story.

[FlyGuy7]

It seems that if you put earth worm scent on a san juan worm, you could catch fish all over the country. WHat do you guys think?