Getting Ready To Travel-Maintenance Kit

Over the next while we'll have a number of posts to help you out (hopefully) getting ready or that big fishing adventure abroad. Tips on what and what not to take, packing, you name it.

The first covers a maintenance kit. When you're out and about fishing around the world it's pretty tough to run down to your favourite fly shop to get something tweaked, tuned, or fixed. So it's a good idea to carry a kit with you just in case.

You don't need to go hog wild and carry a portable fly shop but a few key things may mean the difference whether your trip gets affected. The items I list are what I've come to want at some time over twenty some years of fishing travel.

First thing is storage. I put everything in a Pelican 1060 case. Fits everything I need but small enough to conveniently go in my travel duffel and then my boat bag. Now for what goes in it:

- Zap Gel... Great for that quick, on the spot repair. Nice thing about the gel is it goes where you want it and doesn't run everywhere. Make sure never to use Zap or Krazy glue on mono, it severely weakens.

- Line Cleaning Kit...lines get sticky, especially in the salt. A quick cleaning every couple of days makes your life a lot easier.

- Lubrication Kit...includes synthetic grease for things like engagement pawls (ie: Tibor reels), synthetic oil is a must for that cork drag that gets finicky, and cleaning items like q-tips.

- Spare rod tip tops... break the last 3 inches off the rod, don't have these, you're screwed.

- Tools for reels... Most of the best sealed drag reels don't have much that can go wrong but if you have a certain reel that requires a tool to work on it, carry that tool.

- Spare reel handle and hardware...you can order these from your reel dealer for whichever reels you carry.

- Eyeglass repair kit...Canadian Tire has these up by the checkout all the time and cost about $2. Contains sunglass/eyeglass parts with a little screwdriver. Has every size little screw known to man. I've made use of this kit for sunglasses and a whole bunch of other repairs. Very handy!

-Nail Knot Tool... never know when you might need a nail knot. Repairing a fly line loop, etc.

-Ferrule wax... that rod tip keep coming loose? A little wax will help.

- Aquaseal...fixes so many things.

- UV wader repair and UV light... Need a super quick fix on waders? Got a small rip in your flats boots? This will fix it.

- Scrub brush...actually an old tooth brush. Seems silly but works great for cleaning out hard to get places. Get sand in your reel? This will fix you up.

- Everything packs up neat into the waterproof case for your trip.

Got any ideas we might of missed? Send us a note.