After a - 10 temperature last night its the time that the old rod rings will start to freeze and becomes frustrating breaking it off all the time.I have in the past myself used candle wax to grease the rings to stop them icing and heard vaseline helps aswell,even the lipsalve has been used which is quite could as a floatant when you run out of all others,so what sort of things do you use if any to stop your rod rings freezing?

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Kevin

Keep your rod in the water while fishing and only take the rod/rings out of the water to make a quick cast. If you can't make a quick cast then sharply shake the rod to remove the water from the rings.

Im not sure there is a way of keeping them clear of ice , i usually have a few casts then de-ice the rings with my fingers, i wondering if Rain-x would help , ill will let you know this winter as ive lubbed my rings with it, ive got fuji alconites on one rod and snakes on the other , it will be interresting to see what happens,Rain-x certainly helps throw a line

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If in doubt, get the montys out

Intelligence is relative to your environment

Leave them at home and go to the pub.

I'm impressed lads, nothing would tempt me into the water if my rod rings were likely to freeze.

Steve

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Steve


"There he stands, draped in more equipment than a telephone lineman, trying to outwit an organism with a brain no bigger than a breadcrumb, and getting licked in the process." Paul O'Neil

For early Salmon spinning I used to give the rings a smear with Vaseline(Petroleum Jelly). Works well on the back of the hands too. Dipping rod in water works but for limited period.
Tight Lines

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"The Future's Bright The Future's Wet Fly"

This is the major problem with winter trout and steelhead fishing here in the frozen north. Hundreds of commercial and home-brewed cures have been tried, and the bottom line is very little that helps the problem to any significant degree.

Putting various wax or petroleum-based products on the guides to attempt to stop the water from beading up and freezing works to a small degree. I've tried car wax and a commercial product called Stanley's Ice-Off Paste and they both seem to reduce ice to a small extent and for a short period of time, but then you have to freeze your fingers to re-apply the product when the rings start icing up again.

There is one thing I and a group of friends have noticed that helps significantly. Dark-colored, matte-finished rods have fewer ice problems when the sun is shining. We've noticed that starting at -3 or -4, my black, matte finished rod stopped collecting ice, while a Sage and another brand with a shiny finish continued to collect ice for several more hours. The dark finish and lack of a shiny coating to reflect the sun must mean the rod acts like a mini solar panel and the blank produces enough heat to nudge the temp of the guides just above freezing.

Otherwise, ice in the guides is just part of the game.

Grouse

It's a problem I encounter a lot while trotting for grayling. This was last Sunday while out on the Earn.



I just dip the rod in the a water and it usually free's up for a cast

Norm

I find giving that giving them a nice warm 'suck' keeps 'em ice free for far longer.


PiB

Yep, that'll work, but what about rod rings?

Was having the problem today, down my little river link legering for chub. Previously I've used glycerine (the stuff in a little bottle used for cake making), but didn't have it with me today. Helps a bit, but nothing stops it completely. Bigger rod rings are less susceptible.

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