When you are a professional fly-fishing guide and competitive angler you learn very quickly how important your equipment is. You also learn very quickly how many folks fail to maintain their equipment, or even fail to notice when their gear is in trouble. Equipment failures can be frustrations that prematurely end days, cut into moments of enjoyment, cost money or worse, fish! Fortunately the vast majority of failures can be prevented with a few moments of diligence at home. This article aims to walk you through the main components of your daily gear-showing you how to give each some TLC.

Fly Reel

Far too many anglers have issues with their reels, no matter the initial investment. While the cost of a reel implies a certain amount of quality, all reels are subject to the same wear and tear, and all reels can fail without proper maintenance.

Since I am a staunch proponent that fly-fishing should not become a sport for the rich and famous, I am not going to imply that cost should be much of a factor. However, I will say that consideration to what you buy within your budget should be a priority. I say find a reel that you like to use, like to look at, like to hear (or not), and can afford. Once you get it however, learn how to take care if it!

Upon purchase, sit down with your reel and it's manual. Learn how it is put together as well as how it comes apart. Operate the drag through the entirety of it's range. Listen to how it sounds and feels. Lastly, check all the screws to be sure they are tight. This simple procedure is important so that you have a baseline of operation. Without a baseline it may be hard to recognize a problem.

If you are going to store the reel for a period of time, fully loosen the drag to remove all stress from the drag components.

Once you begin using your reel, get in the habit of cleaning it routinely. It's amazing how much grit and debris can get in behind the spool and work into the drag system. To clean the reel, I begin by removing the spool.

Next, I'll run the spool and the cage under some tap water to rinse off the larger matter. Then I will wipe the surfaces with a clean cloth lightly coated with a quality reel lube or WD-40 which actually displaces

water as it lubricates. If I can see any remaining grit I will remove it with a toothbrush or toothpick and then coat the area lightly with lube. It's important not to overdo the lubrication or it can end up attracting more dirt than it can protect against. Lastly, check for loose screws or worn components.

On single action reels, it is common for wear and corrosion to appear on the pawls as well as the springs. If you see corroded areas on either, contact the manufacturer for replacement parts.

 

Once the reel has been serviced, slide the spool back onto it's cage, spin it, and you'll be surprised at how deserving it was of that care!

Fly Rod

Thankfully the piece of gear we depend on most is alsothe most maintenance-free! Fly rods are really pretty amazing creatures when you consider all that they do and go through for us, asking very little in return. That said, there are a few housekeeping items involved with owning one.

First, you'll want to keep the reel seat in tip-top shape since it undergoes a good deal of stress. I like to be sure that the ring threads are free of grit so I'll rinse them with clear water and rub them clean with the same lube rag I used for my reel.

Next, I'll wipe-down my grip with a mild soapy concoction to remove the various nasties cork will collect. This is an aesthetic chore, unless your cork has been neglected to the point that you have discoloration and mold! If that is the case some emory cloth may be needed.

 

Lastly I will rinse clean the female section of the ferrules. It's amazing how tiny pieces of unmentionables can get into those places and wear down your male end. Once the ferrules are clean and dry Ill give them a very thin coat of ferrule wax to keep them lubed and tight.

Once the rod is all clean I'll check the guides for wear. If I notice trouble then that guide needs to be replaced.

 

 

Fly Lines

Next in line are my lines..and so should be yours! They are not minor investments and although they have a finite life of a few hundred hours or so of use, their performance while on your spool will be dictated by the care they receive.

Lines are drug over and through all kinds of crap. Much of that crap adheres to the line when wet and then, if not removed, cakes-on when dry. One can imagine this process being repeated over and over and how it will effect the performance of your lines. Floating and sinking alike, lines need to be cleaned and stretched in order to obtain optimum results.

 

Cleaning lines should be an almost daily chore for the fly guy. If you get in the habit of cleaning your line after you are done fishing or at least that evening in front of the TV then you will notice extended lives and better casting. All I do is incorporate Loon's Fast Cast Line tool and Line Speed into my daily ritual.

 

 

A few drops of the cleaner go onto the tool, which goes onto my rod and around my line. Then, as I reel-in the line it gets tensioned and cleaned! For more serious, periodic cleaning I incorporate Loon's Stream Line lubricant and 3M/Scientific Angler's line cleaning pad. I'll run my lines through the 3M pad to remove built-up debris, then coat the line with Stream Line using the Loon cleaning tool.

 

While the lines are being cleaned and lubed, it is a good idea to look over the backing knot as well as the line/leader connection. Failures at these areas, while uncommon if the knots were properly tied, do occur and have cost folks some nice fish.

When retying your line/leader knot, be sure to coat the finished product with some type of sealant like Pliobond, Aquaseal, or Loon's UV Knot Sense. This will accomplish 3 things: bolster the knot, smooth the knot, and it will seal the end of the fly line against water. For those of you, like me, who still prefer cloth core fly lines for their suppleness please be aware that water will saturate that core through capillary action of the end of the line is not sealed. That water will alter the grain-weight of the fly line and effect the floatation qualities.

Finally, look closely at the coating of your lines for nicks and cracking. If the coating is too damaged it's time to replace the line.

I have, for trout fishing alone, well over a dozen lines that see regular use and I care for them all as if they were my children. I notice immediately a lack of performance if I neglect a line, whether it be a sunk tip on my WF5F or a sinking line that does not shoot. Those issues effect my fishing, which in turn effects my enjoyment. It's easier to take care of them!

A note on stretching lines:

Most fly lines perform better after a good stretch, especially floating lines and clear intermediates, the latter being especially stubborn. Stretching a line is an easy-enough affair. Simply loop the line around a smooth, rigid feature such as a metal flag pole, light post or trailer hitch. With the end of the line in one hand and the reel in your other, walk backwards allowing the line to come off the reel under tension. Every few steps, clamp down on the reel and pull the line taught so that it stretches a bit. Relax the tension and repeat after walking back a few more steps. This process take only a few moments and the results are really worth your time!

 

Fly Leader

Your leaders should be next in line, since you are working on your lines. Check them over for wind knots, nicks, and coils. If any are present, replace that section of your leader, or the entire leader.

I always replace the tippet daily, and often many times during the day.

 

Lastly, at the end of the fishing day, be sure to run the tip of your leader out a vent hole on the reel's spool. This will prevent the leader from getting under itself when you pull it out next time. That is a serious problem that will not show itself until you get into the backing--and the the drag comes to a screeching halt because the line has become knotted. Prevent...prevent...prevent!

 

 

Flies and Fly Boxes

Flies and the boxes you store them in do get wet. You need to be sure they get dry promptly or rust will takeover! Try to avoid keeping your boxes in your vest-this will at least force you to look at them! I prefer using clear boxes so that I can immediately evaluate the condition of the internal passengers. My flies and accessory gear are kept in a gear bag that travels to and from the stream with me.

 

 

 

If you are at all like me, wading is a necessary evil and I'm not at all against swimming for a fish. With that approach my flies and boxes receive regular baths. I make a point to open those wet boxes and dry them promptly in the sun or in front of a fan at the end of the day. Since I have started using William Joseph's Confluence Chest Pack all I need to contend with is the removable foam fly "patch" at the end of the day if it gets wet.

Pay attention to your flies. If they become rusted then they need to get tossed as they are no longer dependable, not to mention possible sources for tetanus!

 

Waders and Wading Boots

As much as we try to ignore them until we put them on, our wading equipment requires some loving care also.

 

 

Breathable waders should be thoroughly dried between fishing events by hanging them both right-side-out and inside-out. I like to hang mine outside when possible in order to maximize the speed of the drying process. Wading boots need to be dried also. Not only will this prevent cross contamination to a degree (felts soles dry slow so a mild chlorine solution applied to them is good PM), it will lengthen the life of the material.

The waders themselves need to be cleaned from time to time to keep the breathablity in tact. Your waders will come with care instruction-use them!

Washing the waders will remove snot and slime from the fabric and remove the tiny particles of grit from the neoprene webbing of the booties.

Sunglasses

Every fly angler should be religiously using polarized glasses for eye protection. UV rays and flying fish hooks are dangers to your eyes, so keep them safe. What you purchase is your choice, but in this case the quality afforded by an larger price tag is justified. The lens quality and care taken when placing the polarizing film between the lenses will be reflected in the price, which will be apparent in the quality of vision afforded.

However, using soiled glasses will lead to unnecessary eye strain-taking the some fun away from the experience. Get a good cleaning cloth and a quality cleaner ( I like Cat Crap) and remove smears and smudges as they occur.

Finally, adding a basic retainer strap to your glasses will protect your investment from loss.

To conclude, we fly anglers love our toys! It's heartbreaking and frustrating to suffer a gear failure or loss, but these events can be greatly minimized with routine maintenance. Follow the tips above and enjoy longevity and performance from your equipment like never before!