Page 1 of 1

Guides icing up

Posted: Thu Jan 10, 2019 10:49 am
by barkeater
Looking at the weather forecast, it looks like we will have some days where we'll be fighting ice build up in our line guides. So far this winter it has not been a problem for me but I do try to go out on the warmer days. I post this just as a reminder to everyone that just like your rod's guides, a trout's gills are vulnerable to icing which can damage the gills quickly and kill the fish. Keep the exposure to air at a minimum if you are C&R.

Re: Guides icing up

Posted: Thu Jan 10, 2019 12:17 pm
by lightenup
Put a little Vaseline on the guides, it won't stop it, but it will help slow the buildup of ice.

Re: Guides icing up

Posted: Thu Jan 10, 2019 2:25 pm
by njcatchrelease
Get a stick of Burt's Bees Beeswax Lip Balm and use that on the guides. Works great and doesn't hurt the fly line.

Re: Guides icing up

Posted: Thu Jan 10, 2019 3:50 pm
by lightenup
njcatchrelease wrote:
Thu Jan 10, 2019 2:25 pm
Get a stick of Burt's Bees Beeswax Lip Balm and use that on the guides. Works great and doesn't hurt the fly line.
Does vaseline hurt the line? I could see Burts working as well, any waterproof product..chap stick, carmex? :D

Re: Guides icing up

Posted: Fri Jan 11, 2019 1:57 pm
by njcatchrelease
lightenup wrote:
Thu Jan 10, 2019 3:50 pm
njcatchrelease wrote:
Thu Jan 10, 2019 2:25 pm
Get a stick of Burt's Bees Beeswax Lip Balm and use that on the guides. Works great and doesn't hurt the fly line.
Does vaseline hurt the line? I could see Burts working as well, any waterproof product..chap stick, carmex? :D
I haven't heard anything about Vaselne hurting the lines, but I did read about someone who used true Chapstick and they stated it caused their fly line to discolor.

Re: Guides icing up

Posted: Sat Jan 12, 2019 11:14 am
by Rusty Spinner
lightenup wrote:
Thu Jan 10, 2019 3:50 pm
njcatchrelease wrote:
Thu Jan 10, 2019 2:25 pm
Get a stick of Burt's Bees Beeswax Lip Balm and use that on the guides. Works great and doesn't hurt the fly line.
Does vaseline hurt the line? I could see Burts working as well, any waterproof product..chap stick, carmex? :D
Vaseline is petroleum based and so are fly lines. So I doubt it would do any harm and might just work. My solution to icing guides is a 100% fix. I leave the fly rod home and go hunting this time of the year. Haven't had a single icing issue since! :D

Re: Guides icing up

Posted: Sat Jan 12, 2019 11:25 am
by 46er
A small nasal spray bottle filled with windshield de-icer works for me.

Re: Guides icing up

Posted: Sat Jan 12, 2019 1:15 pm
by lightenup
Rusty Spinner wrote:
Sat Jan 12, 2019 11:14 am
lightenup wrote:
Thu Jan 10, 2019 3:50 pm
njcatchrelease wrote:
Thu Jan 10, 2019 2:25 pm
Get a stick of Burt's Bees Beeswax Lip Balm and use that on the guides. Works great and doesn't hurt the fly line.
Does vaseline hurt the line? I could see Burts working as well, any waterproof product..chap stick, carmex? :D
Vaseline is petroleum based and so are fly lines. So I doubt it would do any harm and might just work. My solution to icing guides is a 100% fix. I leave the fly rod home and go hunting this time of the year. Haven't had a single icing issue since! :D
Just your fingers from poor circulation though.... :o :lol: 8-) :D

Re: Guides icing up

Posted: Sat Jan 12, 2019 3:54 pm
by Rusty Spinner
lightenup wrote:
Sat Jan 12, 2019 1:15 pm
Rusty Spinner wrote:
Sat Jan 12, 2019 11:14 am
lightenup wrote:
Thu Jan 10, 2019 3:50 pm


Does vaseline hurt the line? I could see Burts working as well, any waterproof product..chap stick, carmex? :D
Vaseline is petroleum based and so are fly lines. So I doubt it would do any harm and might just work. My solution to icing guides is a 100% fix. I leave the fly rod home and go hunting this time of the year. Haven't had a single icing issue since! :D
Just your fingers from poor circulation though.... :o :lol: 8-) :D
You don't know the half of it since I began taking Coumadin because of my artificial heart valve. I use the chemical whole foot warmers in super insulated Sorel boots with two good layers of warm socks to deal with my freezing toes and I wear "glove mittens" where the fingers are halfway and a mitten like top pulls over the finger area. I put toe warmers in because they fit perfectly in the mitten top section and they have adhesive on one side so they won't fall out. Then I also have a hand warmer tube I wear around my neck like a quarterback or kicker might have on tonight at the Kansas City game (just saw its snowing hard there currently). Steelhead camp with my TU chapter was not fun, and I almost never chase them because of the cold and not being able to stay warm all day. I just can't keep my feet warm. But with hunting in a stand or blind, I can keep warm with the above help and great layers of clothing I have acquired over the years.

Re: Guides icing up

Posted: Sat Jan 12, 2019 4:40 pm
by lightenup
Rusty Spinner wrote:
Sat Jan 12, 2019 3:54 pm
lightenup wrote:
Sat Jan 12, 2019 1:15 pm
Rusty Spinner wrote:
Sat Jan 12, 2019 11:14 am


Vaseline is petroleum based and so are fly lines. So I doubt it would do any harm and might just work. My solution to icing guides is a 100% fix. I leave the fly rod home and go hunting this time of the year. Haven't had a single icing issue since! :D
Just your fingers from poor circulation though.... :o :lol: 8-) :D
You don't know the half of it since I began taking Coumadin because of my artificial heart valve. I use the chemical whole foot warmers in super insulated Sorel boots with two good layers of warm socks to deal with my freezing toes and I wear "glove mittens" where the fingers are halfway and a mitten like top pulls over the finger area. I put toe warmers in because they fit perfectly in the mitten top section and they have adhesive on one side so they won't fall out. Then I also have a hand warmer tube I wear around my neck like a quarterback or kicker might have on tonight at the Kansas City game (just saw its snowing hard there currently). Steelhead camp with my TU chapter was not fun, and I almost never chase them because of the cold and not being able to stay warm all day. I just can't keep my feet warm. But with hunting in a stand or blind, I can keep warm with the above help and great layers of clothing I have acquired over the years.
Yes, I know about your issues..It must suck, but it doesn't mean I can't poke you...Ill be fishing next day possible in the cold...My hands get very cold, as I have a very low BP, so I will have hand warmers...

Re: Guides icing up

Posted: Sun Jan 13, 2019 9:56 am
by 46er
Some ideas I used for keeping warm when I was young enough to ski, the key is keeping dry, once perspiration occurs its over; polypro liners for feet, medium weight wool socks. For fishing I use polypro gloves with finger tips cut off and wool mittens with the folding finger tops over them. If its windy, snowing or raining I use waterproof ski mittens, a pita, but you stay dry. For core warmth I use layers of lightweight fleece under a rain/wind shell. Kept me warm in winter when we had the cabin on the WB Ausable. Saw this article a while back I thought had some good suggestions;

https://troutbitten.com/2018/11/21/fly- ... -and-toes/

Snowing here now.

Re: Guides icing up

Posted: Sun Jan 13, 2019 4:40 pm
by BiggerThomas
I'm surprised and proud that you guys kept this thread out of the gutter :lol:

Re: Guides icing up

Posted: Tue Jan 15, 2019 9:23 am
by Rusty Spinner
lightenup wrote:
Sat Jan 12, 2019 4:40 pm

Yes, I know about your issues..It must suck, but it doesn't mean I can't poke you....
I'd be concerned if you stopped! :D