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Monday: Paul Arden
Tuesday: Harps
Wednesday: Bernd Ziesche
Thursday: Mr T.
Friday: Ray
Saturday: Viking Lars
Sunday: Bruce Richards

Ronan's report

The average fly fisher who is serious about the sport will have three or more rods, twice as many reels, assorted fly lines, hundreds or thousands of flies and boxes, waders, boots, various accessories and a float tube or pontoon boat. This may may be purchased over several years but the total investment can be significant.

Some people like their equipment to have a well used look – heavily patched waders, cork handles with a definite patina, and fly boxes that are well scuffed. Others prefer a just purchased look even after years of use. Irregardless of the look, we all want equipment that works well - drag systems should be flawless; lines should shoot for miles; and fly boxes should open and close with a flick of the wrist but never unintentionally - and it should last a lifetime or longer.

You may clean and dry your equipment regulary, especially if you frequent salt water, but for many of us the opposite is true. Equipment gets thrown into the back of a truck after fishing and stays there for days until our next outing. Most equipment stands up to such abuse but sometimes an outing could be the last one for several weeks or months and bad things start to happen. A high quality rod that is put into its tube when damp will eventually form mildew which can destroy the cork and leave pits in the finish.

Rule number one for taking care of your gear is never to put anything in a container when wet. This applies to rods in tubes, flies in boxes, and knives in their sheaths.

Before putting a rod away in its tube make sure it is dry. Keep a towel handy and take a few seconds to wipe it down before putting it in its tube. Better yet is to quickly rinse the rod with clean water, dry with a towel, allow to air dry completely and then put it in its case. If you want to keep the cork looking new you can use a toothbrush and toothpaste to clean the cork.

With the advent of barbless flies we can no longer use fuzzy patches to dry flies because of the likelihood of the fly falling out and getting lost. You can put wet flies in your hat to dry or buy a special box for drying flies without the risk of losing them. Open up those waterproof fly boxes and let them dry for a day or two before putting them away for the season.

Turn your waders inside out, hang them upside down to dry for a few days, turn them outside out, and hang upside down in a dry place until you are ready to use them again. Breathable waders can be washed in a machine just like any other clothing article. Follow the above drying instructions after washing. Once your waders are dry (and clean) it's a good time to put in apply patches if necessary. You can use various types of glue for small holes or you can buy patch material at your local fly shop or fabric store for larger tears. I like to patch over tears with nylon patch material and then apply a thin coat of waterproof sealer (such as silicon glue) to make sure the patch won't get worn off at the edges. There are materials, such as nylon patches or UV cured glue, that can be applied to wet waders for quick repairs at the water but I find these types of patches will last a few days or weeks before needing a more permanent fix.

Some items, such as wading boots, are best dried in the sun as this will help kill organisms that they may have picked up and will reduce the smell. For felt soles you can apply a mild bleach solution to eliminate algae and other organisms. If the felt has lost its grip but is still not worn out use a wire brush to scuff up the surface. Better yet, stop wearing felt as many parts of the world are banning its use for wading. In its place you can use spikes or various types of rubber soles to help maintain your footing.

Lines and leader material should be stored out of the sun light as they tend to break down after prolonged exposure in the sun. While they may present an environmental hazard exceeding hundreds of years they will lose much of their breaking strength long before that. If you want to clean your line use a commercial cleaning product or soak the line in mild detergent and then wipe dry. Some people advocate cleaning your line after every fishing trip while others recommend once a season on average.

Mechanical items such as disk drags should be backed off before storage to prevent springs becoming weakened or dead spots from forming.

Inflatable items, such as pontoon boats, should be stored partly inflated if possible. Many such items come with coatings to prevent things from sticking together when stored for long periods. These coating quickly get washed off when the item is used. Several inflations and deflations can lead to condensation inside of the bladders. If stored fully inflated then temperature changes can cause the air to expand and place stress on seams. If you don't have room to store the items when partly inflated then make sure the items are clean and dry before packing then away.

A final thought regarding keeping things dry is to save the tiny bags of stuff that looks sand or glass beads that are included as part of the packaging of a lot of electronic equipment. These little bags are included to help dry the air inside the container. They will work just as well to help keep your stored items dry.

May your cherished items last for many generations! Walter

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