Anyone Use Rain-X for Dry Fly Solution

[noreaster]

I dropped in to the local fly tying club here in Charlottetown last week. The group is pretty hard core; salmon fly tattoos and everything. We got talking about dry fly solution, and they all seemed to agree that Rain-X, the stuff for repelling water from your car windshield, works great as a fly floatant. Just get a sealed little bottle drop in fly and shake, remove fly and let dry. I was intrigued at the idea and am looking forward to trying it out. Anyone else every stumble across this 2 dollar tip?

Cheers
phil

 

[silver creek]

I suggest this on FAOL but someone said they tried it and it didn't work. I have never used it myself. Give it a try and let us know.

 

[wt bash]

I wouldn't be surprised if the ingredients of the Rain X and Watershed didn't share alot of similarities.

 

[itchmesir]

Ingredients in Rain-X

Ethanol
The active ingredients in Rain-X work only if applied to a clean, dry surface. Lucky, then, that all of the ingredients are dissolved in ethanol. Not only is it a really good solvent, it helps remove dirt and oil from the glass, then evaporates.

Isopropanol
Rubbing alcohol. Some poor souls will try anything to get drunk, so to keep them from chugging ethanol-rich Rain-X, the company adds this stuff — it shares a few chemical properties with its cocktail-friendly cousin, but it’s an unpalatable poison. Mixologize with Rain-X and you’ll end up way under the weather.

Polydimethylsiloxanes (PDMS)
A chain of repeating molecular subunits — two organic methyl groups attached to inorganic silicon-oxygen — forms a thin layer on the windshield, and the methyl groups provide low surface tension, which actively repels high-surface-tension fluids like water.

Ethyl sulfate
During production, the Rain-X gods add sulfuric acid to the mix (for reasons we’ll explain later). By the time it reaches your auto-parts store, some of it has mixed with ethanol and converted to this byproduct, also found in the urine of alcoholics.

Chlorotrimethylsilane
Residue from PDMS synthesis, this compound is regularly used to silanize — that is, chemically neutralize — laboratory glassware so organics won’t stick. Same for your windshield, too? A Rain-X chemist told us he couldn’t say for sure.

Siloxanes and silicones, di-me, hydroxy-terminated
Fragments of PDMS, broken down by that sulfuric acid we mentioned. The hydroxyl groups help them bond strongly to glass, making it tougher for your wipers to disperse the Rain-X.

 

[stimmy7]

First, thanks to itchmesir for the detailed drill-down on Rain-X... LOVE IT!!

Similarly in the past people have asked this question about Scotchcgard (as a waterproofer for flies) and it's not much different.

The only two universal substances and rules I know are the following:

If it sticks, and it's not supposed to... apply WD-40
If it doesn't stick, and it's supposed to... apply Duct Tape

 

[Guest1]

I use the scotch gaurd on all of my deer hair flies like Dahlbergs, bombers etc. It does work and very noticably so. Never tried the other stuff.

 

[pa dave]

I may have been the one on FAOL who said it didn't work well because it just didn't work well for me. I've had better results with the cheap SA floatant, which isn't the greatest either, but better than RainX.

 

[itchmesir]

I stick to mucilin and loon dust for CDC.. more often than not though i'll skip the mucilin and just shake and blow my flies to dry them off and they'll float fine until another trout takes it down.. couple quick false cast snaps will ring out a fly pretty well too when it does go down without the assistance of a trout

 

[stimmy7]

Wonder how long it's gonna take to see Albolene brought up in this thread, or making your own from wax and lighter fluid =)

And did I hear a faint voice in the back of the room cry out "Gink" ??

 

[noreaster]

Thanks for all the observations and comments. Seems the jury is out on whether it is any better or worse than other available products. Volume wise its worth it I'd say. Have to field test it in the spring.

 

[baseman1]

Why wait till spring? fill up the sink and try it out.

 

[noreaster]

Why wait till spring? fill up the sink and try it out.

I have some somewhere, i'll try to find it and
see what happens

 

[brucerducer]

I know it's a radical thought, and also involves a very flammable material,
but I just wonder how "Starting Fluid" / Ether would work.
If anyone is smoking streamside, Stand---the--heck--by!

It seems it would be a powerful evaporant, and odorless also.
This of course, for a watered down Dry Fly. It is a very fast Evaporant, if you've ever tired to Shoot it into the carburator, and then run inside your vehicle to start it.

Also, for the question as to "Rain-X" the orange colored Windshield Wiper Fluid, I wonder if it is used as a Wet Solution, and applied streamside, if it might or might not have an odor that would repel fish?

Perhaps used at the tying bench, as a kind of permanent Silicone Repellant, it might have some benefit, given time for any odors to evaporate, leaving a silicone coating.

For myself, I was also thinking of using Scotch-Guard at the tying bench, as a means of coating a Wool Dry in specific, and other Dries generally.

.

Anyone have any thoughts on the Ether idea?

As Baseman1 indicated, I am going to be trying out some of these in a bucket of water, dropping some "treated" flies into it.

.

 

[Guest1]

For myself, I was also thinking of using Scotch-Guard at the tying bench, as a means of coating a Wool Dry in specific, and other Dries generally.

I know it would work on wool. It was meant for materials like wool and cotton. I know it works really well on deer hair, and wool is also a hair so in reality it being meant for fabrics like wool, I would bet it works better for that than the deer hair.

 

[jaybo41]

I'll stick to Tiemco's Dry Magic. Perfect size applicator to carry on the stream, a little goes a long way and I don't end up with residue to wipe on my waders or jacket.

 

[brucerducer]

SCIENTIFIC EXPERIMENT conducted by noted Scientist Dr. Duperlater / Rain-X Orange Window Washing Fluid #1

08:45 Hours 4 December 2012. Location, my fly tying bench


(a) Have 2 each 16 oz drinking glasses with Room Temperature Water.

(b) Have 2 identical "Griffith Gnat" dry flies, tied over 30 days ago,
one is untreated, but the 2nd is soaked in Rain-X for one minute and swirled around vigorously so that it will absorb the Solution. The Rain-X treated dry fly has been dried out overnight on a rack.

As indicated, at 0845 hours I drop one fly each into a large glass full of the same temperature of tap water from an approximate 6" heighth.

Observations. Untreated Fly has hook point pointing down into the water.

Rain-X treated fly, has hackles so buoyant, that the hook point is pointing vertical, out of the water and above the surface film.


1430 Hours of 4 December 2012, (Six Hours Later) the undisturbed flies show the following change. The untreated fly is half submerged in the surface film, with the hook point even with the surface film, one side of the fly submerged, the other half above the surface film still.

The Rain-X treated fly is the same, with the hook point entirely above the level of the surface film.

No fish have taken either fly yet.

.

(Next report due per later)

 

[noreaster]

SCIENTIFIC EXPERIMENT conducted by noted Scientist Dr. Duperlater / Rain-X Orange Window Washing Fluid #1

08:45 Hours 4 December 2012. Location, my fly tying bench


(a) Have 2 each 16 oz drinking glasses with Room Temperature Water.

(b) Have 2 identical "Griffith Gnat" dry flies, tied over 30 days ago,
one is untreated, but the 2nd is soaked in Rain-X for one minute and swirled around vigorously so that it will absorb the Solution. The Rain-X treated dry fly has been dried out overnight on a rack.

As indicated, at 0845 hours I drop one fly each into a large glass full of the same temperature of tap water from an approximate 6" heighth.

Observations. Untreated Fly has hook point pointing down into the water.

Rain-X treated fly, has hackes so buoyant, that the hook point is pointing vertical, out of the water and above the surface film.


1430 Hours of 4 December 2012, (Six Hours Later) the undisturbed flies show the following change. The untreated fly is half submerged in the surface film, with the hook point even with the surface film, one side of the fly submerged, the other half above the surface film still.

The Rain-X treated fly is the same, with the hook point entirely above the level of the surface film.

No fish have taken either fly yet.

.

(Next report due per later)

Awesome. Thanks for doing this. I looked for my bottle but couldn't find it. The rain x is looking pretty good so far

 

[brucerducer]

EXPERIMENT w/ Rain-X treated fly.

At midnight of 4 December 2012, both flies are sitting as before in surface film, no change in position in surface film at all.

 

[brucerducer]

Experiment with Rain-X #1, update as of 0600 hours, 5 December 2012, about 22 hours after the initial immersion of 2 dry flies into a large water glass.


By 0600, both flies were sitting absolutely unchanged, above the surface film.

The Fly treated with Rain-X and dried however, still has the hook pointed vertically up in the air, entirely out of the water.

OBSERVATION: Due to the buoyancy of the Saddle Hackles, or my method of tying, which may have trapped an air bubble inside the Peacock Herl, neither fly is sinking or changing its position in the surface film.

ACTION: Jiggle both glasses equally to disurb the surface film.

OBSERVATION: The untreated fly drops below the surface film, but does not sink. The hook point is down, the hook eye poking just into the top surface film.

The Rain-X treated Griffith's Gnat however, is unchanged. It did not sink below the surface film. Moreover the Hook is still Lying "on---its---back" with the hook poining up, and entirely above the surface film.

CONCLUSIONS:

The experiment is regarded as complete.

The Rain-X treated fly demonstrates clearly, that it imparts a significantly greater buoyancy to a Dry Fly and so much so, that the Fly tends to ride above the surface film for a much greater length of time than an untreated Dry Fly.

.

Worth knowing. NEXT.... another Scientific Experiment on treating a Dry Fly with Scotch Guard.

.

 

[brucerducer]

This experiment is overdue, but it was "due---per---later" so here it is:


SCIENTIFIC EXPERIMENT conducted by noted Scientist Dr. Duperlater /SCOTCHGARD on two identical Dry Flies.


08:45 Hours 6 December 2012. Location, my fly tying bench


(a) Have 2 each 16 oz drinking glasses with Room Temperature Water.

(b) Have 2 identical "Griffith Gnat" dry flies, tied over 30 days ago,
one is untreated, but the 2nd is sprayed with Scotchgard. The treaded reated dry fly has been dried out overnight on a rack.

As indicated, at 0845 hours I drop one fly each into a large glass full of the same temperature of tap water from an approximate 6" heighth.

Observations. Both Flies sit at 45 degree angle in the water.

Observed 24 hours later, both flies remain above the surface film.


36 hours later, the flies are still above the surface film, but the Scotchgard treated Dry Fly is now sitting Hook Point down in the water.

ACTION: Jiggle both glasses equally to disurb the surface film.

I give the untreated fly water glass 6 "swishes" with my index finger.

OBSERVATION: The untreated fly drops below the surface film and sinks immediately all the way to the bottom of the glass.

The Schotchgard treated Griffith's Gnat did not drop below the surface film with the same number (6) "swishes" of my finger. Only when I most vigorously added 3 more swishes, did the Scotchgard treated dry fly change in status. It dropped just below the surface film, but remained just barely submerged in the surface film.



CONCLUSIONS:

The experiment is regarded as complete.

The Scotchgard treated fly showed far greater buoyancy than the untreated fly. Even when soaked, the Scotchgard treated fly was still buoyant just under the surface, not sinking to the bottom as did the untreated fly.





.

Worth knowing.

NEXT.... another Scientific Experiment on treating a Dry Fly with Unscented Hairspray.

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