What's your "gear" routine, when you return home from fishing?

[joseywales]

I'm sure routines will vary, but once you get home:

1 - what do you do with your wet wading boots? Garage? Deck to dry? Ever rinse them?

2 - waders, same as above, gargage? deck? I know some guys rinse them.

3 - Reels - do you rinse them quick with the hose? Or just clean the line periodically?

4 - Rod - hasn't seemed to get dirty at all, so not sure if there's any maintenance required, other than inspecting guides and winding. Can you clean the cork? I have been just leaving rod/reel in the case, though I unzip it to allow air in.

Thanks

 

[Lonewolve]

Unless im fishing a particularly silty muddy stream, and have to wade up a slippery muddy bank.Most times after i get out of my boots and waders, if the stream is close by ill walk back down to the water an rinse waders an boots so they are not sandy,muddy,or gravelled up.When i get home I will loosen my laces an open my boots up leave them out in the air to dry an i hang my breathables inside out first for a hour,then turn them right side out an dry the rest of the way...then when they are dry unless i am fishing the next day or later the same day.I fold the waders up properly an place them in their wader wab ,and also my boots.

Also my equipment gets maintained in the fall or early winter,unless its a saltwater outfit.Then the reel gets rinsed thoroughly under fresh water, i clean the line an reaplly greased lightning or your preference. my rod goes under a garden hose with a light ivory detergent an a microfiber or wondercloth.
any flyboxes that have water or moistuire get opened up, and left till dry. clothes get washed hung out then put back in their respective places.

 

[pcray1231]

Hang waders inside out, with opening as open as I can get it. Put boots underneath. Lean rod tube, with end open against the wall. Usually still has reel attached, often still with fly attached, as my rod tube allows this.

Basement is cool and dry, usually keep the humidity around 55%, which is pretty low, and things dry out quickly.

I clean my line about once a year, usually a "gear maintenance" day in January or so as I'm starting to get cabin fever.

No rinsing, unless it's salt water, which is very rare for me. But in salt, everything gets hosed down with fresh water after each outing. Then after the trip is complete, a complete cleaning of EVERYTHING, oil where necessary, etc.

 

[beeber2]

Waders get hung from a line in front of the house, boots go on the deck to dry out. I don't rinse anything. If I am wet wading, the neoprene booties go on the line to dry. The reels and rods get put away "as is". If the line seems dirty or didn't perform well, then next time before I go out I will clean it. I never clean the cork.

 

[joseywales]

Thanks guys. That's pretty much what I've been doing, so it seems common sense works. thanks.

 

[hunter1]

When I get home. 1) waders get hunh up to dry. 2)boots get rinsed and then put out to dry, coverd deck.3) clean line and reel.4)clean rod, and let it dry. 5)clean all my clothes, 6) before putting waders away i'll turn them inside out to dry inside of booties, then turn them rightside out and hang them up . Plus other little things.

 

[The_Sasquatch]

I have a hook on my back porch, I just hang my waders from the hook and put my boots on the deck. A lot of the streams in northern Lanc are silty, so I usually hose them off. My rods stay in the car...for fast access!

 

[mcwillja]

pcray1231 wrote:
Hang waders inside out, with opening as open as I can get it. Put boots underneath. Lean rod tube, with end open against the wall. Usually still has reel attached, often still with fly attached, as my rod tube allows this.

Basement is cool and dry, usually keep the humidity around 55%, which is pretty low, and things dry out quickly.

I clean my line about once a year, usually a "gear maintenance" day in January or so as I'm starting to get cabin fever.

No rinsing, unless it's salt water, which is very rare for me. But in salt, everything gets hosed down with fresh water after each outing. Then after the trip is complete, a complete cleaning of EVERYTHING, oil where necessary, etc.

I am going to start hanging my waders inside out more as well. I was doing it for a while then stopped. I was told you get more life out of them because the mold that forms attacks the seams when you don't air dry the inside first.

 

[Heritage-Angler]

josey - take a tip from your brother, and get one of these things - (I did).

Mine came with the extra extensions for waders, but you can buy them seperately for another $10.

It dries waders completely in a few hours, and wading boots overnight. I'd leave felt soled boots on it for 2 days though, just to be sure they're completely dry, and any nasties that can be spread to other waters are dead.

I like to rinse my wading boots in a utility sink, and then spray with something like Simple Green. I scrub the outside of the boots with a scrub brush, rinse completely inside and out, and turn them upside down to drip dry until it's their turn on the boot dryer.

The next day, you have clean and dry gear. I have multiple sets of waders and boots, so I always have clean and dry wading gear if I'm fishing for several days in a row, or if I'm fishing different waters.

That boot dryer is worth it's weight in gold, IMO. It's a great tool to help you stop the spread of invasive organisms, and it does this without using harsh solutions that can damage your gear. The small investment helps your gear last longer too. Well worth the price of admission.

H.A.

 

[gfen]

Ed that's alot of work, dude.

I prefer the, "slough it off, throw in back of trucklet and let pine tree air fresheners do the work" methodology.

Seriously, you wash them EVERY SINGLE TIME?! How doesn't that cut into nap time?!

 

[Heritage-Angler]

Yup - every single time.

If I REALLY need that nap A.S.A.P., I still put the waders on the dryer, but leave the boots in the sink until later. :-D

 

[gfen]

driving home with boots on top of the car dries them quickly and without wasting energy.

 

[brain]

waders consist of whatever shorts i'm wearing at the time.
some times they'll be dry by the time i get home. if they are dry i just wear them the rest of the day, if not they get put in the wash bin.

wading shoes(korkers for the moment simms soon) get put in the alum box i made for them in the back of the cruiser, they quickly dry.

the line will get wiped down or cleaned, normally cleaned every other or so outing. this happens as soon as i get home, so if i decided to go out again in the evening it is ready to go.

the reel will get a going over at the end of the season, or day if it took a swim.

the rod gets wiped down as needed, normally once or twice a season.

 

[dryflyguy]

My waders and boots always seem to be rather dirty after fishing. So I always hose them off and put them out in sunny spot on the deck to dry.
Since I almost always get home after dark, this is done the next morning.

The line gets cleaned after about a week of fishing. No need to do that every day IMO

 

[stevehalupka]

pn a small tangent, a little before and after...

I use a large tote to carry all of my fishing equipment to and from the stream.

this way, I forget nothing. First I put in my wading boots followed by... waders, wading jacket/sling pack, gallon of water, hat, gloves, camera bag, polaroids, reel, etc.

I always tie a knot in my laces after I loosen my boots which keeps them from getting dirt on them when changing at the end of the day and if needed, stand on the lid of the tote.

rod always breaks down and goes back in the tube and I sometimes open my reel and rinse it in the current if needed before the day ends. once home, the cork section of my rod is exposed and given time to dry so the cork lasts longer.

Also at home, I hang my waders and jacket in the walk in closet immediately and put everything in it's designated spot.

The tote allows me to only worry about carrying it and my rod tube as my money clip and cell are usually at the very top as well.

I've turned a lot of ppl onto this method... many have transitioned from wading bags just for the fact it's hard to lose or forget anything once a system is in place.

 

[Wetfly01]

All of my gear is keeped in my garage which is insulated and stays nice and cool throughout the whole season. When I get home from a trip waders and wading staff are hung up, wading shoes are hosed off and hung up to dry out slowly. All jackets and vest are hung on hangers, all in the same place so No searching is involved for the next trip. Just open the back of the vehicle and put stuff in and go. My boo rod is wiped down and dried and either stored in its bag and hung or left together if I know I am fishing the next few days. Fly lines are cleaned about every 3rd trip and leaders are repaired that night for the next trip. I also keep folding chair and small cooler with gear.

At the end of the season all rods are washed thoroughly dried and stored away in fly tying room. Fly reels are cleaned and lubed and fly lines are cleaned and new leaders are installed and stored in reel case. Waders and wading shoes are washed and dried and stored in closet. All jackets are washed and put away in closet. Wading staff gets a new coat of varnish and put away.

And well the vest it very seldom gets a washing. To much of a pain to unload all that stuff. The only time it gets unloaded is if I get caught in the rain and have to dry everything out.

Believe me there is a method to the madness.

 

[joseywales]

Lots of good ideas here.

HA, I need to install a utility sink for sure. Not just for this, but for other chores around the house, etc., it's a PITA to use the upstairs sinks. Not sure how much my brother is sticking to his regiment of boot drying, etc. Maybe I can pick that one off him cheap!

I have considered the tote idea and am looking into how I want to setup the bed of my truck. It's a Ridgeline, so it has a short bed, which I like. It also has a trunk, which conveniently has a drain hole. Truth is, the trunk could become the tote, since it's easily washed out. I'm considering a truckbox, as well as a bed cover - not sure about the MacGyver cover though HA..

Right now, I have a camera backpack, which contains all of my flies, etc. I place it in a larger gym bag, which holds my lanyard/harness, spare socks, hats, and whatever. I have a second wader bag, a large vinyl tote bag I found, that carries the waders/boots. So gym bag on my shoulder, wader bag in one hand and rod in the other. Not a problem.

The problem, and main reason for asking the question, is that I store all of my gear in a 1st floor room, so wet waders and boots are going to stink the joint up. My options for storing those are my humidity controlled basement or the garage, both which present the risk of me forgetting them on the way out the door. Maybe I'll just move all of the gear to the basement. Routine is the key, so I'll just have to fish more!

 

[stevehalupka]

I just make sure i scrub my wading shoes when I get back everytime and always spray the waders inside w. a few shots of febreeze. I keep these in my loft's walk-in closet, along with my other gear. Never had a problem with smell.

 

[barbless]

Cabela's boot dryer! Excellent idea!

Also, for toting waders and boots around, I use one of those large flexible plastic coolers with a zip-around top and a shoulder strap. The one I have also has an outside pocket large enough to store socks, gravel guards, wet wading booties,etc. (or a good sized towel). This will definitely save your car trunk/back seat/carpet, and will get your wet gear from the car through the house to the drying and storage area without tracking water, dirt, and debris in between. The cooler also seals in odors. I've stored wet gear inside of it in a car trunk on long trips, packed next to other luggage, and it completely contains all the nastiness.

This is the type I use: http://www.hawaiiancooler.com/CollapsibleCoolers.htm

I have the largest size, which will fit at least two pairs of waders and boots, or multiple pairs of boots.

Their backpack coolers look like they'd do the job, too.

Another thing I try to remember to do: air out all the flies I've just used, so they dry before the hooks start to rust.

 

[Chaz]

The first thing I always do when done fishing for the day is put the rod in the case, then I take care of everything else. I never put equipment on top of any vehicle, that's a sure way to lose stuff.