Water Shed with Fletch Tape

[LA Trapper]

Anyone try the Watershed dry fly treatment with fletch tape?  What were your results?  Did it affect the tape bond?  It claims to be permanent on dry flies.

Billy

[Zradix]

I have used water shed.
It seems to work reasonably well.
Doesn't make feathers stiff.
Doesn't really make em water proof either.
It does keep a very substantial amount of water beaded up though.

I have never used it on fletch tape.
However when you put it on I see no reason why you'd have to get any on the fletch tape.

It comes in a bottle similar to a visine bottle..just smaller.

The thin fluid comes out very controllably ( can do a drop at a time easily )and wicks up the feathers nicely.

[LA Trapper]

Have you found a better product?

[Zradix]

I have only tried two products.
Camp dry...don't bother.

Watershed...works a little.

From what I have read there isn't anything out there that'll let you get the feathers soaked in water.

I have applied watershed to my feathers.
Using a double coat (waited 24hrs in between coats) made a lot of difference.
I could run my sink sprayer over the feathers for a few mins before they started getting waterlogged.

Still much better than nothing. I think the watershed would hold up to a heavy mist type rain quite well. Just not a torrental down pour.

Other options I've heard heralded are using food grade silicone spray and natural uncleaned turkey or goose feathers.

If you take them right off the bird the natural oils haven't been cleaned off. I guess they repel water very well.