A lot of fishermen are guilty of neglecting their fishing gear leaving their tackle in a corner to fester while it is waiting for the next fishing trip.

Caring for your Reel

When you get home whether you have been sea angling or river fishing, you should hold it under a running tap, use clean cold water to flush it out. River water has lots of particles grit and mud in it and you find that the grit is a very big abrasive and once it has dried it starts grinding and cutting into the metal on the reel. Salt water is highly corrosive and will soon rust any metal that it settles on.

Once you have washed your reel dry it off, if you can get the permission from your other half, put it in the airing cupboard so it dries thoroughly with no puddles of water inside that will cause corrosion. Then get some WD40 and spray a small amount onto a clean cloth, not straight onto the reel, and just wipe it over the surface leaving a thin layer of protection over your reel which will protect and stop corrosion.

Line

Check your line - your line gets caught in snags etc; it would be a real shame to miss that fish of a lifetime because your line snapped and you could have prevented it. Most fishing lines now are so cheap and it is so ridiculous to lose a big fish on an old tacky line, which you have used all season.

Rod

You pay a fortune for a good rod so looking after it makes financial sense – Wipe your rod down with soapy water, check the rings – they can soon get grooved if fishing muddy water. Grooved rings can be put on very cheaply – your local tackle shop will know someone in your area that will do it for you. On the spigot (the joint), the male part, get a Tea candle or nightlight and rub a little layer of wax all around that top joint. What this does is prevents your rod getting a vacuum between the two joints wax will stop your two joints sticking together – This I am sure most people have had when they have been fishing, it also prevents it from progressive wear and tightens loose joints.

Hooks

Look at your hooks - have they got wet? are they going rusty? Again, they don’t cost much to replace and it would be a pity to lose a fish because of the hooks are rusty and weakened, so throw them away if they are dull or bent etc.

Shots

If you fish in a certain spot you tend to use the same shot pattern all of the time. Check that you have plenty of shots left of that size, again it’s a matter of pennies, there is nothing worse than going to your favourite fishing spot and not being able to set it up how you want too – it can ruin the day.