Get Tied Up in Knots

My fishing trip is set for next weekend and I almost forgot an important part of getting ready, making sure I know how to tie my knots.  It seems silly, but before every fishing trip I go on I always sit down and give myself a refresher on the knots I'll need to use.  I say it seems silly, but one trip I wasted 45 minutes trying to remember how to tie a perfection loop on a new leader.  You can read about that experience here.  Since that trip I always make sure I remember two basic knots before I go fishing.  

Putting It All On the Line (Care)

In getting ready for my first fly fishing trip in over a year I've been trying to refresh my mind on everything I used to know about fly fishing.  I've been thinking about casting.  Which knots should I use.  How should I approach the fish.  And then I thought about my fly fishing gear that's been sitting in it's case waiting patiently for me to bring them out.  You know, it might be a good idea to check out my gear to make sure it's still in good working order.

I grab the case, open it and pull out my rod and reel.  My rod looks OK, at least to my novice eyes.  The reel spins smoothly.  No issues there.  What about the line?  Didn't my brother say something one time about cleaning my line?  Have I ever cleaned my line?  Ummmm.... no.  Time to do some research.