keeping drys floating

Having a tough time keeping drys on top.Recently I've been using this silicone powder stuff made by cortland.Definitly not helping.I understand once a fish takes fish slime will become an issue.
 
What if anything does anyone use to help keeping them floating??
 
 Sorry false casting for 30 seconds or more to dry the thing out doesn't cut it when there's good action on top.
 
Thanks for any tips .

Newbie advice here...

Frogs fanny and liquid floatant only do so much.  You've got to let it dry after a while.  Hook it in your patch to really dry out, switch to a different fly, and release as many as you can, 'cause if they're takin, you'll be hookin' with a fresh, floatin' fly.



Oh, one other thing...

Don't tie dries on a nymph hook.

ORIGINAL: indsguiz

Beedhead,
    Since I insist that all my dry flies be tied with a little, tiny, inflatable bladder under the body I just carry a tiny bottle of helium with me and reinflate every so often.  OK, now the real truth.  I like to coat my leader with a waxy substance, like the oldtimers.  I use regular lip balm, or I will carry a bees wax candle piece to coat my leader.  Then the leader won't drag.  For the flies,  liquid silicone, or chapstick on the body .  The best method for drying flies is what you have already been told;  replace the fly with another and hang it on your vest.

I do the same. Not the helium but treating my leader and flyline tip.  
Usually when your leader starts to sink, it can pull the fly under. You start to make a backcast while your leader is sunk and the fly follows the sunken  leader

On the flies, I use Gink or Frogs Fanny. Frogs Fanny seems to make the fly ride higher but doesn't last as long as Gink.

Thanks for the replies I had some Gink before but I couldn't remember the name of the stuff.Must be age creeping up on me.

Beedhed,
     One more thing I forgot:  Some automotive supply stores sell spray silicone.  100% pure silicone.  I used it for years on some flies... and it's cheap!   Also holding the fly line between your fingers and cupping the fly in your hands while blowing on the fly dries it out fairly well.

I like Gink.
 
In the days before there were any real good floatants and before hackle was as good as it is today, we were always searching for something to help keep the dry flies up.
 
A college friend was an photographer and developed his own pictures.  H suggested a product call, if I recall correctly, "PhotoFlow."  It was used to help float photo paper in the developing solution.
 
I played around with different concentrations of the stuff and finally came up with one that I thought would work.  I gave a sample to my Dad to test and he had good results.
 
At some gathering or another, my college friend asked how the PhotoFlow worked, but before I could answer him, my Dad took over, "You know, that stuff floats a fly pretty good.  In fact, I had a trout, a big trout, about 18", take a Blue Winged Oilve that I had used that stuff on.  He finally spit out the fly before I could hook him.  But he came right back on the next cast and hit it again, but this time he brought another trout with him in order to help him pull the fly down."
 
The dumbfounded look on my buddy's face was, as the commercial says, PRICELESS!

  Forgive me.  I was born with a genetic defect.  It's called chronic smart azz.

Yes, but you have to spray it then let it dry before fishing, do a whole batch at once the night before.

ORIGINAL: jlh42581

Yes, but you have to spray it then let it dry before fishing, do a whole batch at once the night before.

Thanks . I,m going to give that a try. Found a good spot to do this. 40 gallons of gas there and back.
Well , after a few stops. Saw 30 + in a hole .  Caught who knows how many on a wild thing I tyed at camp. Kept sinking.

What style of flies are you using.  Some float a lot better then other styles.  I've found that a parachute style floats the best.  A properly tied comparadun will float very well, a poorly tied one will sink right off the bat.  Catskill patterns in small size can be very hard to see, even if they are floating. 
I've found that applying gink or similar product works the best for me.  I will use Frogs Fanny if it does start to sink.

"PHOTOFLO" is a wetting agent .  We use it at work to help remove air from our water tanks.  It should have the opposite of the desired effect .
I use a lot of comparaduns and apply gink before the first cast.  After a fish, I squeeze it in a fold of my shirt, and it is dry.  If you have a heavily hackled traditional tye, this works well also, but be gentle.  Remember-gink BEFORE it gets wet.  The leader info is right on for riffled water.
 
Now you'll need another excuse...

Some more good advice on keeping drys floating....
 
Tie them with high grade hackle. I use nothing but whiting bronze or silver grade hackle. Your flies will float better with good hackle.
 
If you dont tie, buy your flies from a good local fly shop. If you order your flies bulk from a catalog, you will probably end up with a fly tied overseas will poor quality materials.

ORIGINAL: SilverKype

That's it right there drake.  You get what you pay for!!

How's the sucker fishin' been?  Brehm hasn't caught any creek chub's lately. 

 
Fished the LJ on wednesday. Did fine considering it was sunny and warm. Despite what it says on flyfishers paradise's stream report, the Little J is a great place to fish terrestrials. Caught plenty of fish on beetles and ants. Saw a few blue quills and some psuedocloen as well.
 
let me no when you want to fish. I'll be in the outer banks until Sunday July 1st. When I come home, I want to fish for smallies.

I took some time to search and read this thread. Very educational. Was wondering if anyone here might have new opinions or techniques? Thanks.

Alls I have to say is buy a bottle of GINK..it works awesome and it will keep your dries on top.