FISHING —WITH TONY ORMAN Tinker in time

Press, 29 July 1978, Page 16

FISHING —WITH TONY ORMAN Tinker in time

Fishermen. are you bored with the winter? The rivers are dirty and the weather is too rough for a sea fishing . trip. Even if winter fishing is available, somehow it lacks the appeal of summer days by the river. So why not just go over your gear.

Tie up some flies, or experiment with new patterns. You can spend many delightful hours on a wet day looking through fly-tying books and trying new patterns. Turn to tackle tinkering, or simply overhauling your gear. Sort out your trout flies. If they look bedraggled, put them in one of your wife’s strainers and hold them over a boiling electric jug. The steam restores them to top condition.

If you spin fish, polish up your spinners and spoons. On trout flies, some head windings may need doing again. Oil your reels

and clean them. Wash with kerosene or lighter fluid, and dab some grease or oil on the working parts. You can tie up some tapered fly casts. Examine rods for frayed bindings. Take note of the guides on the rod. It is amazing how they wear grooves in the metal, and this hacks your fly line around considerably, if you leave them unreplaced. Fishing waders . . . any leaks in them? A patch will quickly remedy that. Put your name on items such as rod bags, fly tins, etc. There are a ton of things to look over — important tasks that will put your gear back in shape and will give you a good excuse to keep out of the kitchen. Fly tying is a real joy. If you haven’t tried it, give it a go this winter. Its almost as absorbing as fishing itself. Sea fishermen, because .of salt water, need to

watch reels and rods for cleanliness. Keep tuv..< wiped down with an oily rag.