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Last Updated:
December 10, 2000

 

 

From The Just Fishin’ Newsletters:

For North Island fishermen it is coming up to the peak rainbow trout season. From May through to August these beautiful silver fish, flecked with red, fat with autumn feeding will make their way from the lakes to spawn. Top fly fishing time, top fish, and time to make sure your gear can handle it.

Now is the time to run through this checklist, before you actually get on the water.

Check out waders and check for leaks. A quick and effective way to check for holes is to go into a dark room, close the door, and shine a torch into each leg. Even the smallest beams of light will soon reveal a leak. Mark the hole with chalk and fix the leak, soon! While you are at it, check out the clips and fasteners.

Match up your woolly socks and replace those with holes. Does anyone actually darn socks any more?

If you are as old as me, or just not very happy when cold, get out the thermal underwear and give it the once over. While at this job run through all the warm gear, shirts, jackets etc. Please don’t forget the woollen cap or hat, remember 30% of your body heat is lost through the head.

Hey, didn’t you promise yourself a pair of neoprene gloves last year. Don’t wait till your hands are frozen to remind yourself again.

Now would be a good time to check out your rods for any nicks and scrapes that may need repair. Check out the guides and if they need re-binding. Get them into the tackle shop soon, time is running out.

If you are going to invest in a new rod do it now. Buying a new rod now, and getting in some practise before you use it on the water where you will be fishing, means you will be right up to speed from the moment you get to the river or lake. New rods take some time to get used to, and even longer to get the maximum benefit from the new modern materials.

Check out your reels and make sure everything is running smoothly. Give the pawls the once over, they wear out faster than you think. If your reel has a drag system check it out. Tiny bits of sand and pumice can wreak havoc.

How long is it since you have checked the backing? Is it really worth waiting for that really big fish to test whether you should have changed that yonks old backing?

Give your fly lines a wash in a very weak solution of dish detergent and dry thoroughly. Then rub on one of the many good line conditioners available today, let the conditioner dry, and then buff with a soft cloth. Talk to your tackle shop about which conditioner to use on your line. Many of the newer lines can react badly to applying the wrong conditioner.

You can try and persist with damaged fly lines, but frustration will beat you. Lines that are nicked, cut, abraded or worn will allow water to ‘wick’ up the Dacron core of the fly line. This will make the line heavy and difficult to cast. It will eventually separate the core from the line and the line will break.

If you are buying a new line, do it soon so you can practice with it before heading away for your fishing trip. Just like new rods, new lines can take a bit of getting used to. Why waste time, fishing time especially, coming to grips with new tackle while fishing?

If you are still using the same braided end loop from last season, replace it or have your tackle shop replace it. Braided loops do wear out.

All your leaders should be checked. The ‘shampoo’ test is a good guide. If your leader material is dull and lifeless and lost its shine, replace it.

Check out your fly box and give any flies that are showing any sign of rust the heave-ho. Any flies that have become flat or matted can be tarted up by holding them over the spout of a kettle that has been boiled. The steam treatment will work wonders. Let the flies dry thoroughly before replacing in your fly box.

Give the landing net the once-over. A quick tug or two on the netting will tell you if it needs replacing. Trying to re-fight a fish through a hole in a landing net is not one of fishing’s great pleasures.

If you night fish, check out your torches. Replace the batteries, and put a fresh unopened set in your fly vest.

The time spent checking your tackle, before you get on the water, is the valuable time you can spend. Don’t wait for that big fish to test your preparation – and find it wanting!


"Inanimate objects are classified scientifically into three major categories—
those that don’t work, those that break down and those that get lost."

 

 

 


Copyright © 1997 by Tony Bishop
© 1997
All rights reserved.
No part of any of these articles may be reproduced or utilised in any form or by any means, without written permission of the author, except in the case of brief excerpts in critical reviews and articles.

Contact Tony Bishop