Yesterday we briefly mentioned checking fishing gear as a wintertime activity. One sentence talked about polishing lures, plus replacing and sharpening hooks.

Do anglers really polish lures and other fishing gear? Some will say yes and some will say no. This is an individual preference.

Certainly, the hooks should be checked for sharpness. Treble hooks, those with three hooks, are easily removed from the lure for sharpening or replacement.

If this step would mean the difference between catching a small- or medium-size fish, the angler would most likely skip the job. However, if a trophy-size fish was lost to a dull hook, the angler might sharpen every hook every year or more often.

Another part of angling equipment to check every year, so make it this time of year, is the eyes of a fishing rod. If an eye on a rod is worn in such a manner as to provide wear or abrasion, the fishing line may become frayed and break at a strength less than it should.

An easy way to check each eye is to run one of those swabs with a cotton tip on each end. Run the cotton swab end through each eye and rub it around the entire eye. If there is a frayed area, the cotton will snag and this will indicate an eye needing attention.

Interesting part of this situation: When first writing about this way of checking the eyes of a fishing rod 25 years ago, the name of the most common cotton swab was used, but without using cotton swab at the end.

The company attorney sent me a five-page letter threatening me to use the words “Cotton Swab” after the name or they would take action. The company should have sent me a case of swabs to hand out to local anglers. Instead, my action was to suggest anglers use the cheapest cotton swabs on the market to check the eyes on their rods.

An eye found to be frayed must be replaced or the fishing line may become frayed. Damaged line may reduce the strength of the line. A line listed as 8-pound test may become 6-or 4-pound test, and not capable of bringing a 10-pound fish to net.

Fishing line becomes damaged and loses strength by growing old. The hours spent in the sun, plus the years on the reel will weaken fishing line.

Solution: Replace fishing line every few years. There are several different tools to help an angler properly place line on a reel for less than $20.

Spools of 200-, 300- and even 1,000-yard line spools are available.

Tomorrow: Fly-angler considerations.