Shimizake Dry Shake–Product Review

Many fly fishers live by their silicone gel and Dry Shake.  Liquid?  It doesn’t occur to them that it can also be an effective way to deliver floatant.  As long as the solvent dries quickly (and a little powder can hurry that process along), it’s a great way to penetrate those natural fibers with water repellent.

Testing Dry Shake Liquid vs. Loon Aquel

 

 

We took two size 14 stimulators on a dunk test.  First, we coated one in Aquel and the other in Dry Shake Liquid.  We noticed right away that the Dry Shake Liquid had a solvent smell like rubber cement, and that it dried immediately and coated our fingertips in silicone.  On the fly, it took just a few seconds.

After allowing a minute for the products to soak in, we dunked them for three minutes.  They both brought air bubbles with them (think of coating those emergers!), but it was clear within a minute that the Dry Shake Liquid held more of them.  It also seemed not to put the slight oily slick on the water that the Aquel did.

We conducted extensive backyard field testing and found that the Dry Shake Liquid lasted a bit longer than the Aquel, but it was not as gentle on the smaller fibers of the fly.  We would not recommend using it with CDC bugs or other delicate flies.  It also gives the fly a “dusty” look, altering the shade of the body especially.

Final Evaluation

We had several swipes in the back yard on both flies, with no clear victor between the Aquel and Dry Shake.  If you’re fishing a tailwater or stillwater, I would opt for something that does not alter the fly’s color.  If you just don’t want to mess with your fly frequently, this stuff seems like the ticket.