6 Ways to Protect Your Fishing Gear
Most of the fly fishermen on the Stillwater River come here to enjoy a day surrounded by gorgeous nature. Rookies or seasoned anglers, they have one thing in common: they love nature and do their best to preserve Montana’s waters. This is their biggest commitment. Another important commitment is to their gear. No matter how much you spent on it, you want to protect your fishing gear so that you can hold on to it for years to come.
We all know that fly fishing doesn’t have to be an expensive sport. Sure, rods and reels can end up costing thousands of dollars, but no one says you should get top of the line equipment! You can get by with rods and reels that cost less than $100. Add a few more bucks for the flies and you’re good to go!
But here’s another thing about anglers: we tend to get sentimental. So, no matter how little money we spent on our gear, we want to hold on to it. Let’s see how to protect your fishing gear:
Protect Your Investment: 6 Ways to Protect Your Fishing Gear
Don’t worry; fishing gear protection is not a science in itself. And it won’t cost much, either. All you need to do is follow a few basic rules and guidelines.
1. Get a Rod and Reel Case
You can also get a separate reel cover, but most modern rod cases have a places for reels now. This is extremely helpful, especially if you don’t have a lot of storage space.
A rod and reel case is one of the best investments you could make. It will shelter the most expensive items in your fly fishing gear during transportation and storage periods, as well as from accidental drops.
2. Choose a Case that Fits
No, you can’t buy the first one that you lay your eyes on. The right rod and reel case has to fit your equipment. This means that you should be able to place them in the case and pull them out with very little effort. The case should also allow some room for padding – this is especially important in case of an accidental drop.
3. Don’t Underestimate the Importance of Protecting the Reel
Most fishermen know that the rod can break in countless ways, so they do their best to make sure it’s thoroughly protected. But the reel is also very sensitive. A simple nick on the reel can compromise the integrity of both your line and leader, thus throwing you completely off your game. If your rod case doesn’t come with a reel space, you need to purchase a separate reel protector.
4. Keep Your Rod and Reel in the Case until You’re Ready to Use them
You probably use the case whenever your rod and reel are in storage or when you are on the road. But countless accidents can also happen on boats. We’ve seen a lot of rods get broken by a careless step or a falling angler. Remember that the tip can snap very easily, so the more time your rod spends in the case, the safer it is.
5. Don’t Leave Your Rod and Reel Baking in the Sun
Keep your equipment away from sunlight even when it is in a case. Cork problems, delamination or melting glue are just a few of the problems that can be triggered by sun exposure. Be especially careful not to leave your equipment in the sun while you are transporting it in your car. Store it away from the windows to be safe.
6. Use a Fly Box
We all know that flies can be inexpensive and yet fragile. You don’t want to get all the way to the river just to see that some of them are unusable. I strongly advise you to use at least one fly box that can keep your flies neatly organized. You can check out one of our recent posts on how to organize your fly box for further details.
There’s nothing like a broken rod or entangled flies to ruin a perfect day on the river. As promised, there’s nothing too complicated you have to do to protect your fishing gear – you just want to invest in the right equipment.
Heed the above pieces of advice and there’ll be nothing standing between you and a perfect fly fishing trip!
