The warmth has returned to the sun and the snows are melting here and there. It’s mid-march and we need it to be Spring.

The trout are finning away under the ice waiting for us. The tyers are glued to their benches. The icehuts are being pulled from area lakes here and there. The anglers are preparing for open water. The bassers are pouring plastic and tying jigs. The spinner crowd are bending wires and mounting blades. But most are wondering around the local Dicks or Walmart looking for deals and steals. BassPro is on speed dial and Cabelas is their top “favorite” website.

Whether you buy your stuff or make it. Now is the time to get it ready for the swiftly approaching season. Dust off that pole and clan it up. Change the line and wax the guides. If it has anything broken, fix or replace it. The time you spend now is the fishing fun you save later.

This time each year I gather all my gear. Check everything twice and fix anything that I forgot to take care of last year. I even run my vest through the washer. Empty the tackle bags and wash them too. I clean out the tackle box, wipe it out and toss away those dried up crawlers I forgot in their last September.

Among the preparations every angler needs to make is to sharpen those hooks!!!! Now flies are most often lost before they need this. But you lure tossers and baiters need to keep those bits of steel razor sharp. If you hate to sharpen them, just replace them. Now while we are mucking through your tackle try to locate all those lures and reels that gave you trouble last year. Deal with them now.

I know this is scary….. But from me to you. Please take the time to take your kids fishing all you can. These are perilous times for our youth and for our freedoms. Make them part of the Army of Tradition that has preserved these traditions for years. I have put a face to go with this message so you can see…..this is something I truly believe we need to do. So from Me to you… have a great St Patty’s Day..and go fishin’!!!!