I just watched the Oliver Edwards video mentioned on a different thread, which features him tying a traditional Killer Bug, and he shows it dry and wet with the original Chadwick's yarn.
In preparation for his sight fishing, he degreases the leader with a Fuller's earth concoction, which made me wonder - does anyone 'degrease' their line? If so, what do you use?
c
Degreaser / Fuller's Earth
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Re: Degreaser / Fuller's Earth
Yes, I use Mucilin Quick Sinkcassady wrote: In preparation for his sight fishing, he degreases the leader with a Fuller's earth concoction, which made me wonder - does anyone 'degrease' their line? If so, what do you use?
It's probably the concoction that O.E. was referring to a proprietary commercial stuff.
Where I find it really comes in handy is if I'm using a small dropper off a dry fly.
Bob
Re: Degreaser / Fuller's Earth
I have been using fuller's earth for years. Orvis use to sell it in little tubs.
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Re: Degreaser / Fuller's Earth
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Re: Degreaser / Fuller's Earth
I often degrease my tippet, but mostly when fishing dries and PT's as I don't find that it makes much difference when fishing wets.
This is the standard formula that has been around for years and I'm a firm believer in it's efficacy. To about a 1/4 cup of Fuller's Earth, add enough Ivory Liquid dishwashing soap to make a very thick paste, then add a bit of glycerin to keep the 'mud' from drying out. Stir thoroughly. It should be about the consistency of bread dough, perhaps a bit stiffer. Make sure to store it in an airtight container. To use it, take a small amount between your thumb and forefinger and pull the tippet through it a couple times. Be careful not to over do it as the Fuller's Earth is abrasive and could weaken a fine tippet.
The advantages to mudding a tippet is that it will sink a bit faster, but it also takes off some of the glare off the nylon. When fishing PT's I'd feel almost lost without it, for both the above reasons. I had been aware of it but never used it much until I fished the chalk streams where everyone uses it religiously. It's a standing joke that you can tell the anglers in the pubs in the evenings by the 'mud' under their fingernails!
As many of you know, Skues, Sawyer, and Kite used fish slime, river mud, or leaves to degrease their tippets, so the practice goes back a ways. At one time Lava hand soap was used. Do they still sell that stuff? It works pretty well when softened with water to make a paste.
When it comes to leaders, if I'm fishing dries I grease mine (except for the tippet) to make them float. This goes against what a lot of anglers suggest but a floating leader causes a lot less drag than a sinking one. I'll leave it at that because this is a wet fly forum!
I don't grease my leaders when fishing wets, and I usually don't go to the trouble of mudding the tippet either. Sometimes though I will use a little river or bankside mud to rub down the entire leader as much for tradition's sake as for any practical reason.
This is one of those little refinements that could make a difference in some situations. I can think of more than a couple of times where I firmly believe a bit of mud was the difference between catching and not.
This is the standard formula that has been around for years and I'm a firm believer in it's efficacy. To about a 1/4 cup of Fuller's Earth, add enough Ivory Liquid dishwashing soap to make a very thick paste, then add a bit of glycerin to keep the 'mud' from drying out. Stir thoroughly. It should be about the consistency of bread dough, perhaps a bit stiffer. Make sure to store it in an airtight container. To use it, take a small amount between your thumb and forefinger and pull the tippet through it a couple times. Be careful not to over do it as the Fuller's Earth is abrasive and could weaken a fine tippet.
The advantages to mudding a tippet is that it will sink a bit faster, but it also takes off some of the glare off the nylon. When fishing PT's I'd feel almost lost without it, for both the above reasons. I had been aware of it but never used it much until I fished the chalk streams where everyone uses it religiously. It's a standing joke that you can tell the anglers in the pubs in the evenings by the 'mud' under their fingernails!
As many of you know, Skues, Sawyer, and Kite used fish slime, river mud, or leaves to degrease their tippets, so the practice goes back a ways. At one time Lava hand soap was used. Do they still sell that stuff? It works pretty well when softened with water to make a paste.
When it comes to leaders, if I'm fishing dries I grease mine (except for the tippet) to make them float. This goes against what a lot of anglers suggest but a floating leader causes a lot less drag than a sinking one. I'll leave it at that because this is a wet fly forum!
I don't grease my leaders when fishing wets, and I usually don't go to the trouble of mudding the tippet either. Sometimes though I will use a little river or bankside mud to rub down the entire leader as much for tradition's sake as for any practical reason.
This is one of those little refinements that could make a difference in some situations. I can think of more than a couple of times where I firmly believe a bit of mud was the difference between catching and not.
Re: Degreaser / Fuller's Earth
I think they still make the Lava soap. That's about all I can add to conversation.
I always rub my wet fly in the mud before I fish it but haven't paid too much attention to greasing or degreasing the leader/tippet. I'll give it a go.
I always rub my wet fly in the mud before I fish it but haven't paid too much attention to greasing or degreasing the leader/tippet. I'll give it a go.
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Re: Degreaser / Fuller's Earth
John,
Wonderful words of wisdom from your pen. Thanks! I must really missing the boat on mudding and degreasing leaders and tippets. Everything you mentioned makes perfect sense so now all I have to do is put them into practice!
Thanks for shedding a little light into an otherwise darkened cranium!
Doug
Wonderful words of wisdom from your pen. Thanks! I must really missing the boat on mudding and degreasing leaders and tippets. Everything you mentioned makes perfect sense so now all I have to do is put them into practice!
Thanks for shedding a little light into an otherwise darkened cranium!
Doug
Fish when you can, not when you should! Anything short of this is just a disaster.
Re: Degreaser / Fuller's Earth
Dawn dishwashing soap refills in my Xink container makes an inexpensive degreaser/sinkant for leader and flies. 
Tested and proven in many oil slicks. 
As Carl said streamside mud isn't a bad alternative.
Tested and proven in many oil slicks. As Carl said streamside mud isn't a bad alternative.-
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Re: Degreaser / Fuller's Earth
Wow I saw the same thing this morning in the video and was going to ask the question. glad you posted it and we've had great response.
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Re: Degreaser / Fuller's Earth
Clearly something worth trying, then!
Many thanks for all the replies.
Many thanks for all the replies.