Frozen Guides

tuberider251

tuberider251

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Joined
Oct 6, 2013
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15
Just wondering if anyone had some tips for keeping your guides from freezing up or is it just part of the mystique of winter time fly fishing?
 
go fishing in florida ;-)
 
Other than "fish when it's warmer," not really. All of the other remedies I've tried have only improved things marginally, if any. Just clean the guides out every few minutes, or if it's just the last couple, dip them in the water...all part of the experience.

One thing that does help a little is roll casting with a fixed amount of line out through the guides. Not always feasible depending on how you're fishing, but I find I fish like this a lot when I'm nymphing, which I do in the Winter more than other times of year. Shooting the wet line through guides is what causes them to ice up quicker.
 
an even bigger problem is ice on your line, leader, et. At around 25*f or lower those problems become significant.
 
^Yep. A little ice on the guides is one thing and isn't too big of a deal, but once you're leader and flies freeze up you know it's cold!
 
Carefully remove the ice from the guides. More than one fisher has popped a guide loose or snapped a tip section getting ice from the guides. Remember the the blank can become less tolerant / brittle when it's real cold out. I'd stay indoors if it's that cold out. The exception would be steelie fishing which I do for 48 hours every other year. I then biitch about it until I get talked into going again. Long range forecast for my Pulaski trip is lows of 12-13 and highs of 25-27. If you open a window and listen, you'll hear me complaining. Lol.
 
Thanks for the advice guys....hopefully Santa gets me a vice and some fly tying materials for those nippy days
 
You can prevent some ice by using chapstick on your guides. If it repels water (even liquid floatant) then it will help a bit. Nothing fixes it except not fishing when it's cold.
 
run a very fine wire up the blank and plug into a 9 volt battery...

they will freeze no matter what you try. just have to deal with it.

looks like my trip on friday is going to be cold and snow covered, going to be hard to get them to bite. but am hoping for some decent photo's any how.. theres 2 waterfalls 20 and 45 foot that i want to take.
 
How about WD-40? Put a little on a rag and rub it on the guides.
 
its a chemical that will ruin your line.......but if you afford to buy lines all the time go ahead...lol
 
ice on the guides is one thing and isn't too big of a deal, but once you're leader and flies freeze up you know it's cold!

This says it all. For ice on the guides I just periodically clear it off, no biggy. When the line and flies freeze it's over.
 
First time I encountered ice on the guides was funny.

Fishing the Lackawanna in January with the Moonbeam, I was working a seam across the river and having difficulty reaching it. Now, I know my technique is still in need of improvement, but I should have managed that length of cast. :)

Finally looked at the snake guides and realized they were plugged solid with ice! A true "Duh" moment!
 
If I'm using a fishing guide and he gets frozen I just give him some hot coffee and a donut and they're usually good for the reat of the day! LOL! :roll:
 
If I'm using a fishing guide and he gets frozen I just give him some hot coffee and a donut and they're usually good for the reat of the day! LOL!

when I was guiding I would prefer Black berry brandy....
 
I've heard Vasoline will work, but I've never tried it.
 
Need to bump this thread, didnt want to start a new one...
Do frozen guides damage your line? I've been fishing alot this winter, and noticed the first two feet of my line is sinking. I've cleaned my line twice since the Nov or so, I apply a dressing to the first 20' or so, and clear my frozen guides before they freeze solid. Never applied any chemical except mild detergent to fly line, and never applied anything to the guides, except fly floatant.

Is it time for a new line?

ps- this line is a year old.
 
Never really gave much thought as to whether ice will knick up a fly line but makes sense I guess. Depending on usage and the quality of the line they can start to sink within a year. When the end of a floating line starts to sink I use it for streamers and rotate a new one in for dries and nymphing. Can get a little more use out of it that way.
 
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