There is a particular feeling in the air right now in the Shenandoah Valley. You can feel the days getting just a little bit longer, and if you listen closely, you can almost hear the streams waking up.
Spring is the season we all wait for, but it’s also the season that exposes every weakness in your gear. There is nothing worse than hiking into a favorite stream, spotting a rising brook trout, and realizing your tippet is brittle or your flies are rusty.
To make sure you are ready when the first major hatches begin, here is a checklist to get your tackle in top shape.
1. The Critical Connection: Clean or Replace Your Fly Line
Your fly line is one of the most important components of your outfit. Over winter, lines can develop “memory” (coils) from sitting on the reel, and dirt from last season can ruin their buoyancy.
- Cleaning: Pull your line off the reel and into a bucket of warm water with a few cap fulls of Scientific Anglers Fly Line Cleaner and let it soak for 10 minutes. Rinse with warm clean water and wipe it down with a soft cloth. If it still appears dirty, you will need to clean it with a Scientific Anglers Cleaner Pad. This simple step can add 10 feet to your cast and prolong the life of your fly line.
- Inspection: Run the line through your fingers. If you feel cracks or if the line is sinking despite cleaning, it’s time to replace it. A cracked line acts like a saw on your rod guides and won’t float high enough for a delicate dry fly presentation. (The image of the fly line on my reel at the top shows visible cracks— this fly line needs to be replaced, it no longer floats effectively enough for dry fly fishing.)
2. Leaders and Tippet: Don’t Risk the Big One
Monofilament and Fluorocarbon have a shelf life. UV from sunlight and heat break it down over time, making it brittle.
- The Tug Test: If your leaders have been sitting in your vest since last Summer, give them a strong tug at or near the tippet. If they snap easily, throw them away. It is heartbreaking to lose a nice smallmouth or trout because of a $6 leader that failed.
- Refresh Your Stock: Spring often calls for a variety of options, delicate leaders for wary trout in clear water being one of them. For Trout; make sure you have plenty of 5X and 6X leaders, and fresh spools of tippet material. For Bass; double check your 0x and 2x fluorocarbon tippet material and make sure you have 0x and 2x leaders at the ready.
3. Audit Your Fly Boxes
Open your boxes and really look at what’s inside. Are the hooks rusty? Are the hackles matted?
- Organize: Group your flies by type. I like to keep a dedicated box for early spring favorites such as a Mr. Rapidan Parachute and Mr. Rapidan Bead Head Nymph.
- Stock Up: In our area of the mid-Atlantic, for native Brook Trout, you want to be ready for the early season hatches. Make sure you have:
- Mr. Rapidan Dry Fly (size 14): The standard for mountain streams.
- Blue Wing Olives (size 18): Essential for those overcast spring days.
- Murray’s Little Yellow Stonefly: Great for the first warm days on the bass rivers.
- Nymphs: Don’t forget bead-heads for when the water is high and cold.
- For Stocked Trout (Browns/ Rainbows/ Brook Trout) make sure you’re stocked up on:
- Nymphs
- Pearl, Olive and Black Marauders: General purpose streamer representing many minnows
- Eggs and Worms: Attractor Patterns dead drifted across the bottom
- Mr. Rapidan Parachute (size 18): BWO’s hatches are a possibility through May
- For Smallmouth Bass make sure you have:
- Murray’s Magnum Creek Chub Minnows (size 4): Chub Minnows are staple diet on almost every river
- Murray’s Magnum Hog Sucker (size 4): Hog Suckers are found on the cobblestone bottoms
- Murray’s Hellgrammite (size 4): Dead drift through tails of riffles and swung as a leech streamer
- CJ Sluggo (size 1/0): Stripped and swung through the mid pool sections – Sink Tip III or Sink Tip Intermediate
- Galloup’s Dungeon Fly (size 2): Stripped and swung with a slight upstream start to obtain depth
4. Wader and Boot Check
Winter storage can be unkind to waders, especially if they were stored folded or rolled instead of hung. Before you step into 40-degree water, inspect your waders for pinhole leaks. A flashlight held inside the waders in a dark room can help reveal tiny holes. For breathable waders, turn them inside out and spray with rubbing alcohol. Pinhole leaks will turn darker than the surrounding area. Pinholes can be patched with just a dab of Aquaseal. Larger leaks need a patch placed over them; we line the Gear Aid Aquaseal Repair Kit.
Also, check your wading boots. If you use felt soles, ensure they are not separating from the boot. If you are using rubber soles, check your lugs for excessive wear. Stability is key when the spring flows are up. For sole repairs, we like the Aquaseal SR (Shoe Repair) Formula.
5. Rod and Reel Maintenance
Using a soft bristle toothbrush, clean around the guides on your fly rod. Built-up grime in the guides creates friction, shortens your casts and can shorten the life of your fly line. Clean the cork grip and reel seat with a mild detergent or a Mr. Clean Magic Eraser. Insepect the ferrules for cracks and that they fit securely. Apply Ferrule Dressing (Video) to the male end of each ferrule.
For your reel, a little maintenance goes a long way. Take the spool off, clean out any sand or grit from the drag system, and apply a tiny drop of reel oil if needed. Clean the frame and foot of the reel. Ensure the drag engages smoothly so it doesn’t seize up when a fish runs.
Ready to hit the water?
If you find gaps in your gear—or holes in your waders—stop by Murray’s Fly Shop in Edinburg, VA or give us a call (540-984-4212). We are here to help make sure you have the right tools to make your next adventure a fun and rewarding adventure.
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