THE 



CATCH 



shot. Small hooks such as those found 

 on spot rigs should be thrown away, but 

 treble hooks like those on a MirrOlure 

 can be replaced using a small screw- 

 driver. 



Dump all the sand out of the tackle 

 box itself. Rinse and dry it too. Then 

 take a few minutes to organize your 

 tackle so that you can reach for that 

 Hopkins jig or MirrOlure without 

 fumbling through your box. 



Your rods and reels need preventa- 

 tive maintenance too. Start by rinsing 

 the rods with water and wiping them dry 

 with a chamois cloth. Then take another 

 dry cotton cloth and spray it lightly with 

 an oily lubricant. Use the cloth to wipe 

 down the rod, the reel seat and the 

 guides, providing a thin coat of oily 

 protection. 



Remove the reel from the rod. 

 Using a garden hose, rinse the reel with 

 a gentle spray. Salt always accumulates 

 underneath the reel seat. Dry it thor- 

 oughly with a chamois cloth. If you 

 have a spinning reel, remove the spool. 

 Then rinse, dry and oil the reel cover, 

 outside and inside. Remember to loosen 

 all reel drags when storing. 



Bahen says winter is also a good 

 time to change the line on your reels. 



"Monofilament line does deterio- 

 rate," he says. "And it seems the line 



always breaks at the most inappropriate 

 times — with a big fish pulling at the 

 end." 



To prevent breakage and the 

 disappointment of losing a sizable catch, 

 replace all or part of your line. Some 

 anglers prefer to leave a base wrap and 

 replace only half to three-quarters of 

 their line. Others strip their reels of all 

 line and start new. In either case, be sure 

 to dispose of your line appropriately in a 

 trash can or recycling bin. 



Once you have cleaned, organized 

 and properly stored your fishing 

 equipment, then it's time to relax by the 

 fire with a few good fishing magazines. 

 These readings will rekindle your spirit 

 and have you dreaming of catches to 

 come. 



Although many national magazines 

 cover fishing, Bahen suggests several 

 Tar Heel periodicals with articles by 

 regional writers who know the area and 

 the fish: Carolina Adventure, The 

 Fishing Report and North Carolina 

 Sportsman. He also recommends 

 regionally produced outdoor TV shows 

 such as North Carolina Saltwater. 



If you have a computer and access 

 to the World Wide Web, you can fish for 

 information on-line. The web offers a 

 wealth of fishing information posted by 

 the National Marine Fisheries Service, 



sportfishing organizations and maga- 

 zines, fishing guides, bait-and-tackle 

 companies and private individuals. Or 

 visit a chat room devoted to fishing 

 topics and reel in a new friend who 

 shares your passion for saltwater fly- 

 fishing. 



You can also attend a boat or 

 outdoor show. Held in January, Febru- 

 ary or early March, these popular shows 

 provide a venue for dealers to display 

 the latest tackle, equipment and boats. 

 Or if you want to learn something new, 

 attend an educational seminar. Many 

 sports and outdoor magazines schedule 

 educational seminars at locations 

 throughout the country during the winter 

 months. Check your favorite magazine 

 for a list of seminar sites and fees. 



Although winter may not be a good 

 time to cast a line for an offshore catch, 

 it's certainly the best time of the year to 

 fish for knowledge and equipment that 

 will make you a better angler when 

 temperatures warm and the fish are 

 again taking the bait. □ 



Casting ; 



Below are a just a few World Wide Web 



• Fishing "E" Net Magazine 



www.fishingenet.com 



• Fly/fisherman' s Virtual Fly shop 



www.flyshop.com 



• FishNet Links 



www.fishersnet.com 

 (Provides links to web pages 

 offering information on a variety 

 of fishing topics.) 



i Net for Fishy 1 



sites that offer information about everythi 



• Fishing: Aqueous Search Engine 

 www.aqueous.com 



(Supplies visitors with information on 

 conferences, software, lures, tours, 

 vacations and more. Also provides a list 

 of fishing-related web sites.) 



• Hunting, Fishing and Outdoors 

 Online Magazine 

 www.wildgoose.com 



Veb Sites 



g from fishing vacations to tackle dealers. 



• Fish and Game Finder 

 Magazine 



www.fishandgame.com 



• All Coast Sportfishing 

 Magazine 



www.sport-fish-info.com 

 (From this web site, you can swap 

 fishing stories, look up recipes or 

 chuckle overfishing comics.) □ 



COASTWATCH 29 



