No this is not some strange formula designed to catch fish , in fact I believe that the opposite it true. When I started fishing an old man told me never to bring an orange to eat when going fishing, never to put suncream on before fishing and most importantly never to fill up the car with petrol/diesel before fishing! He always advised washing your in the mud and water of the venue before putting on any flies or bait?

Is this true, do fish - and I'm talking trout and grayling here - actually react to smells?

I know in the US the bass fishermen there use sprays and the like, does any put any smells on their flies?

i have given this some thought over the years. my curiosity was piqued by an article i read somewhere about using flies made with female hair for salmon as there was somekind of hormone that the fish reacted to in it.
subsequent research leaves me unconvinced.
i make my own flies, and many of the materials i use have got all kinds of chemicals, mothe balls etc on them and they still take fish. floatants for dry flies also dont seem to put them off so i doubt that having a satsuma before tying on a cats whisker and letting rip would make a lot of difference.

i think you summed it up very nicely there.

jim

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The Fishermans Friend is the Flirty Fly,Fickle Food for Fleeting Fish.

Years ago, an old guy told me to always keep a stick of cinnamon in my fly box as the fish are attracted to the scent. I don't think it was April 1st.

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The truth is that if it were not for anglers the majority of our streams and rivers would be largely lifeless. A rather more uncomfortable truth is that, as anglers, most of us are far less active than we should be in fulfilling our responsibilities to help protect the rivers we fish
Peter Lapsley
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Monnow Fisheries Association
Riffles and Runs
Charfield AA

Hmmm, I'm not too certain. I try not to fill up with diesel on fishing days and they are the only days I don't wear aftershave ( I'm such a lush ).

I like to rub mud on my hands then wash it off in the river before fishing.

I don't think it makes a BIG difference, but it might make a small one - and I need all the help I can get.

“Do Pheromones Really Make You Irresistibly Seductive to the Opposite Sex?” Or for that mater, Fish. Appears the answer is yes in many cases, and a big 'no' for other 'scents.'

Bass and steelhead/salmon fishermen will spend a LOT of money on these things to 'spice up' their bait/plug/get rid of their 'smell.' Does it work? Apparently so ... personally, if you want to use one just use Anis or Banana oil. Don't recommend putting it on the fly, but a few drops in your fly box will do the job.

But back to the 'yes' and 'no' above. One of the best? WD-40 lube oil. One of the worst? Aftershave and certain male body Pheromones.

Fred has a point. Pike and zander anglers swear by WD40 sprayed on their lures.
However, some think this has more to do with the fact that the oil fizzes when they hit the water and it is the fizz and not the smell that attract the predators.

One a few occasions boat fishing, I've noticed that if the angler on the engine gets engine oil on his hands, his catch rate slows or is non-existent compared to the other angler. If that happens to me I wash it off before continuing to fish.

The same problem is often attributed to tobacco.
Personally I don't think it matters if you are fishing a moving fly, but it might if you are fishing dries or buzzers when fish have time to investigate and mouth the fly.

Actually, I don't really know. If I did, I'd understand women.

WD40 is manufactured from mehaiden so the oil will give a fisshy scent, that is the reason given for usa/canadian guides recomending the use of WD40 on lures

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Turned out nice again!!

Ive tried the "ladies Pheromones" and caught alod of male tench.the wife wasnt to happy when i asked for a sample