After this long, cold winter, April 1 seems more like the “official” beginning of spring - and the official opening of the trout fishing season can’t arrive soon enough! On Saturday, outside the Catskill Fly Fishing Center’s Heritage Rod Shop, I saw a few friends practicing their casting and “trying out” a rod. No doubt they are already preparing for “Opening Day.” And for those of you who aren’t quite yet ready, here’s a checklist of “to do” items that will help you get your gear in order in time for next week’s Trout Opener on April 1.

1. Check your waders and hip boots for tears or leaks. Rubberized boots that have been stored where they receive direct sunlight every day can deteriorate rapidly and leak. Take your waders into a dark closet and use a flashlight inside to carefully check for holes. Or, you can fill them with water in the bathtub and check for leaks. Just be sure if you use this method that it’s not right before you need to use them! Wader repair kits work pretty well; many waders today come with an emergency “patch”. If you have wading shoes, check the laces for wear, as well as the felt soles, that may need to be glued if they become loose or unattached. And again, be sure to give yourself enough time for the waders or patch/repair to dry completely before use.

2. Check your fly box or tackle box to see if you are “stocked up” for the spring; all of our local sporting goods shops should have a good supply of the latest flies and lures ready for April 1. Make a list of what you will need for the season, as sometimes by early summer their shelves may be depleted of your favorite selections.

3. Be sure to look over any flies or lures left from last year. If you find flies that are missing a wing or have thread coming loose, toss them out. There’s no sense in taking a chance on losing a big fish because of a suspect fly. With lures, hooks can be sharpened, but be sure the lure is in good enough condition to save.

4. Take out everything in your fishing vest and give it a good washing. Repair any tears, check to see if your patches are coming loose and need to be resewn. Throw out last year’s fly repellent and sunscreen, you will be better protected by buying new each year. Replace the batteries in your flashlight, and check to see you have everything you need, such as clippers, forceps (for removing deeply embedded flies) Mucilin, etc.

5. Do an inventory of your tippet material. Stock up on new spools of sizes 4X, 5X, 6X, 7X and whatever else you use. Tippet material is not expensive, and can lose its strength over the winter – again, it’s not worth the loss of a good fish to risk having one break off.

6. Leaders should be ready to go. You can either purchase or make your own leaders, but always start off the season with a new leader. Knotless leaders are the most common, but we like to tie our own leaders, so that we know how much is left of the tippet section. (Often when using knotless leaders, you can use up so much of the tippet section by tying on new flies that it can put your casting off. A balanced leader is very important in the proper presentation of a fly.)

7. Now is the time to clean your fly line. Line cleaner can be purchased in most outdoor stores. If you use a double taper line as I do, you should consider turning the line. (One of the great advantages of using a double taper line is not only the delicacy of presenting the fly on the water, but the fact that it is a “double duty” line: when one side is worn, you can turn it over and have a brand new line on the other side.) Check your backing for snags or knots that may be present.

8. Take your reel apart carefully. Check for sand or bits of debris that might be present, and then oil the reel before putting it back together again.

9. Do a rod check – by examining the guides to look for rough spots, and to be sure there are no grooves worn in them. Check the windings, which may have come loose. Check the ferrule to be sure it’s nice and tight. If necessary, have repairs done ASAP.

10. Finally, check your net – if you aren’t in the habit of washing your net and hanging it out to dry after each use, you may find that the material the net bag is made of has rotted or deteriorated. New net bags are inexpensive and are found in most tackle stores.

And don’t forget your fishing license! For those who haven’t yet purchased a fishing license, you have a number of options - you can go online and order a license that you can print out at this address: https://decals.east.licensing.app/ In addition, many local sports stores as well as many municipal (town clerk’s) offices are able to sell licenses, as are our local Agway Farm and Garden stores. While you’re there, be sure to pick up a fishing syllabus, which provides all the myriad of fishing rules and regulations state-wide.

Good luck on Opening Day! And maybe we’ll see you streamside!