When fly fishing in very cold streams in winter how do you keep your guides from freezing up and choking the line?

Answer 1

When temperatures are below freezing and you find yourself out on the river fly fishing, there are a variety of products and techniques to use to prevent your guides from freezing solid. Most fly fishermen already own dry fly floatants. The same pastes, gels, and silicas that keep your dry flies floating for hours can also provide a temporary stop gap to prevent ice buildup. Household products like chapstick, vaseline, and even WD-40 will also help keep ice out of the guides but can sometimes harm the coating of your fly line. Most fly fishing companies create safe products that are also effective. One of the more popular items is Loon Outdoors Stanley's Ice Off Paste.

By far the most productive way to keep ice out of your guides is to change how you fish in the winter time. Water can only get into your guides if you strip your fly line into your guides when it is wet. Most fishing situations require this, but in the winter it is best to strip out the amount of fly line one needs and keep using that length of fly line. This forces anglers to fish smaller sections of water and be very precise. When you need to reel in your fly line, wiggle your rod tip to get most of the water off the line before it enters the guides. If you combine these fishing techniques with the aforementioned products designed to help prevent ice buildup, you will have a much more enjoyable fishing experience.

Answer 2

I use a spray non-stick kitchen product (Pam), I spray the eyes just before I leave the truck. I am good to go for several hours depending on the temperature.