Ready For Spring?
It’s time to get your “Fly-Fishing house” in order!
With great gear, comes great responsibility. For seasonal fly-fisherman like myself, that means getting organized, so you can hit the ground running when the weather flips, and those water temps start creeping up.
If you’re like me, and you also happen to be a die-hard hunter, you face the reality every year that the fishing season bleeds into hunting season. Then, because your brain has completely shifted focus, you do a half-asses job squirreling away fishing gear for the cold months.
Now, it’s March and you’re faced with the reality of the situation…Shit is everywhere and in varying condition.
Fear not…If you find yourself in this boat, indulge in this therapy session with me..
1. You need a good space to work from, so just clean your garage or gear room. Being able to lay everything out is critical.
2. Take inventory of Rods and line. You probably know off the top of your head what rods you own, so line is the biger concern. Check the condition of the line. Is it cracking or brittle? If so, now is the time to replace it. GET GREAT LINE!!! Seriously, I really don’t care what rod or reel a guy wants to use, as long as it’s the right size, but cheap line is the worst. Good line makes a bigger difference than any other piece of tackle other than MAYBE the fly. Check your leader and tippet too…cut off a few feet and if the remaining line is still brittle, toss it.
2. Tidy your fly box (If it looks like the image above, I’m talking to you). If you have flies that are beaten up from pike, have rusty hooks, or you simply have zero faith in their ability to catch fish, make them go away. Toss the flies that can’t be re-commissioned, and give the other “misfit flies” away to a new fisherman. Have a separate box for dries, streamers, frogs, poppers, ect. Take note of flies that you need to load up on. Even if it’s a fly you won’t need til fall, start replacing and building your stock every couple weeks now. It will be less noticeable on the pocketbook if you’re like me, and don’t tie your own.
3. Prepare to get wet. Spring ushers in Midwest-monsoons seemingly out of the blue some days. There’s nothing worse than putting on your expensive Gore-Tex rain gear only to still get wet. Buy a bottle of Nikwax waterproof-breathable detergent and wash your waterproof garments in it (it’s a once a year thing). Pro-tip: air dry, THEN toss in the dryer on high for 10 min. That will re-distribute the DWR coating that causes water to bead-off.
4. Do some casting. You don’t want the first hour of your first trip out to be spent in the trees. Get a few swings overhead, side-arm, back-hand, double-haul, back-handed double-haul, then repeat from your knees. If you don’t know how to double-haul, it’s a great time to watch some videos and learn…As bad as spring rain can be, spring winds can be equally as challenging. A proficient double-haul will help.
5. GET IN SHAPE! If you think you can sit around watching basketball all winter, then just slide back into the rowers seat, or hike miles of uneven terrain to your fishing spots, good luck. You’ll survive that day, but may pay the price over the next week when you cant bend over. I like weight training and biking. Just make sure you hit major muscle groups, especially the back, and get some cardio a few days a week. I’ve had a ton of clients have to sit down and rest just when things are starting to get good. They simply couldn’t stand any longer, or their arms were tired from casting. Every cast you don’t make, is a potential trophy-fish you don’t catch.
Lastly, it’s a lot of work to get ready for the season. A great way to get motivated is to get involved in the fishing community. Check out what your local Backcountry Hunters and Anglers has going on, Trout Unlimited usually has events throughout the year, there are “Brew’s and Bugs” nights sponsored by local shops, and The Fly Fishing Film Tour is making its way around the country. Simply popping into a local fly shop and asking what’s new gets me excited to hit the water.
These “last winters” of the year can really test our patience, but we’ll all be on the water before we know it!
-Ted, FRO Guide/Owner
