Review: Fish-friendly floatants

Time Well Spent August 28, 2024

As fly-fishers, naturally we should be concerned with what we put into the environment. This is the conversation that played out between three keen anglers: Vince Ting, Dennis Eversole and Ken Myers. Worried that most existing fly floatants were solvent-based, flammable and environmentally unfriendly, they decided to develop a range of high-performing, solvent-free products that were better for fisherman and fish – and the High N Dry brand was born.
 

High N Dry Gel Floatant

A gel-type floatant is the most popular choice with fly-fishers in the UK. High N Dry Gel has a low viscosity, so it easily penetrates the fly’s material without clogging fibres. It is suitable for use with all types of floating flies and emergers, even ones tied with CDC, where it only needs a light dressing to perform at its best. It can also be used for treating strike indicators.

The gel is non-toxic and environmentally friendly, so it’s safer for all concerned. The fine tip bottle is handy for when you only want to dress parts of the fly, and it avoids leakage.
 

High N Dry Liquid Floatant

This is the company’s award-winning, flagship product.

Its unique blend of environmentally friendly ingredients contains no organic solvents and gives excellent, long-lasting floating performance. It is the favoured product for flies with CDC in the body, wings or legs.

The wide-topped bottle allows you to completely dunk the fly, covering it with a barrier that keeps moisture out. Shake or blow off the excess and you’re ready to go.

The Liquid Floatant can also be used as a pre-treatment at your fly-tying bench. A quick dip of the finished fly allows materials like dubbed bodies and synthetics to absorb the floatant for extra performance later.

This product is also available in a convenient 1.7oz spray bottle for a lighter, more delicate application.

High N Dry Powdered Floatant

This treatment has very fine nanoparticles and a hydrophobic agent that coat the fly in an almost invisible water-repelling layer. Combined with a desiccant, which helps trap air and improve buoyancy, it is the best product to return waterlogged or fish-slimed fly fibres or CDC to their original state. This powder is formulated not to clog, which can be a problem with other powdered floatants.

Available with an applicator brush, which allows precise dressing or revitalizing of the fly’s parts, or in a wide-necked bottle for bigger flies or fuller coverage. An orange indicator crystal is included in the powder, which turns green when the desiccant is no longer able to absorb sufficient water to dry your flies.

High N Dry Gel Floatant 1oz bottle, £14.49

High N Dry Liquid Floatant 2.5oz bottle, £15.99

High N Dry Spray Floatant 1.7oz bottle, £14.49

High N Dry Powdered Floatant 1.8g bottle, £14.49

For your nearest stockist, contact Guideline: 07973 291367; guidelineflyfish.com