Care of your equipment during winter months
by Michel Lajoie
Fall is here! Most fly fishers just leave their equipment in the corner of the den or garage. Fly lines, fly rods, vests and reels are left unatended, uncleaned until the next season.
Lines are left still on the reel and they take a loop memory that will be hard to get rid off in the spring. The rods that has been left in the corner still damp from the last outing will surely get some mold on it and loose some of it's shine. Cork will deteriote if damp all winter.
Reels are not cleaned from the silt and sand.
Special care is needed to keep all this equipment in good working order for years to come.
Many customers of mine have complained that their fly lines have cracked after a year or so of use, that their rod have lost some of it's youth and shine. That their reels do not perform as well as they use to.
Take care of your equipment. We pay exhorbitant prices for the tools of our sport and we dont take good care of them.
Fly Lines
Fly lines need some real good care if you want to keep them for many years. If you fish 2/3 times a week, I suggest that you take it out of your reel once a month and clean it by stretching it between two points and wash it with mild soap and warm water. Rinse it out with clear water and let it dry. Then apply a coating of conditionner that you can find at your local fly shop and polish it. If you fish only a little, then clean it twice a season.
In the fall, when the season is over and you know that you wont fish till the spring, take it out of the reel, clean it as described above and store in large loops to take all memory out of it. Hang in a dry and clean place. During the inactive months, the lines will take it's original form and will be protected from cracking and chaping.
In the spring clean it again as the winter month will have deterioted the finish and accumulated some dust. With this care your fly line will last for many years to come.
REELS
Once you reel is emptied of the fly line, check if all parts are in good working order.
gears
breaks
backing
If your reel needs repair, take it to your fly shop or do the repairs yourself. Dont wait for the last minute to fix your problems.
If everything is in good order, then the next step is to clean it. Separate the reel from it's spool, clean away all old grease and oil with a cleaner ( varsol, gazoline etc.. take care not to splash the teflon breaks with this solvent. If you can, take out the breaks, it would be safer!) dry all parts with a clean cloth and re-apply new oil on all moving parts. You wont need a lot. Like the old saying "a little dab will do ya"
The female part of the spool also needs cleaning. It accumulates a lot of silt and sand. Take a small cotton tip stick and clean out all grease and oil. Once done re-apply new oil. Re-assemble and store in a dry and clean place. A small box is preferable.
RODS
Like all part of your fishing gear, rods will also need some attention
Check all guides wrapping, and if some are loose, fix them right away. Check the reel seat, some tend to loosen up. Check your cork grip, it might need fixing too. Finaly check your blank if it has any cracks or fissures in it. They also can be fixed.
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Do all necessary repairs and leave it out of the rod bag and tube for a couple of days to make sure that all humidity is gone. Put it all back together and store in an upright position in a dry and clean place. Some rods like bamboo will take a bad curve if left on it's side for some time.
FLIES
Open all your fly boxes for a week or so to let the dampness out. Take all your flies out of your fishing vest and replace them in their respective fly boxes. Metal tends to rust if left wet.
BOOTS
You have a leak in your boots and you dont know where? Place then in the tub and fill them with water. If they leak you will see where as the outside will become wet. Mark the spot with a marker, empty, let dry and repair. As easy as that.
If you have neoprene boots, you can buy a small repair kit at your local fly shop. If you have boots made of vinyl or rubber, you can use a bicycle tire repair kit. I also use a product sold at Canadian Tire or any other good hardware store called "Goop". I apply a coat inside and outside the leak and it dries in minutes.
The soles of your boots need also to be checked. Check for missing studs and if the felt is not to worn out. Replace if need be.
VESTS
You vest and all it contains need some care.
If your like me your wool patch is full of flies that you used during the summer. Take them out and replace them in the boxes. Let dry first.
If your a smoker you most probably have pockets full of butts. You never through you butts in the water...right?
You bottles of float and sink or any other liquid products that you use should and must be taken out of your vest. They might leak and ruin your vest. Store away from the reach of children.
Check your leader cutter, your knife, and all other equiment you use.
All this said and done, your opening day in the spring will be a pleasurable one if you take care of your equipment.
Have a good winter season.
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