An Arctic blast is a great time for me to clean and organize my gear. I don’t think my favorite river, the Farmington, will be available for a bit. Here is a post from Andy Lyons:
So, here is a list of my winter fly-fishing chores:
Reels: Pull out the spools and clean the reels. I try to make sure there is no dirt lodged around.
Fly lines: Clean with soap and water, and apply fly dressing. A helpful Tim Cammisa video about it is here.
Fly rods: Wash them with soap and water. Scrub the cork grips to make them look like new.
Euronymphing leaders: I make new ones from scratch, starting from where the 20# butt piece ends. I use an all-mono rig and this Euronymphing leader formula.
Flies: I organize my fly boxes in a certain way (more here). A key thing I do in winter is take out the dud flies. I strip them down to bare metal and store the recycled hooks. Some flies are very sentimental to me, as they’re among the first I’ve ever tried. But, if they don’t work after multiple outings, I let ’em go to make room for the ones that do work.
Waders: Andy Lyons recommended in a comment that waders should be washed and re-treated to prolong their lifespan. So, I did some online research and learned that you need a special detergent and weatherproofing agent. I bought the Nikwax kit and will use it later in the season, as my most recent waders are still new.
How are you prepping for spring?
Thanks Andy for sharing the formula. I’ll give it a try.