Now is the time to give your fishing vest some love. Most vests still have the stink, stale cigars, dirt, old fishing line, bottle caps and gum wrappers from last season. It only takes one wash cycle to make your vest the Best again.
VESTS Everyone has a different opinion about fishing vests. Some like bright colors, others prefer camo. Others want Velcro closures instead of buttons. Vests with many pockets means more stuff. Shorty vests, mesh vests, nylon, insulated, cotton, floatation’s, etc. If you have a need, they make a vest that will fit them. Get a vest that suits your needs with more BIG pockets that secure properly. Some guys want to keep the stink and dirt on their vests for Good Luck. Oh well.
Empty everything out of your vest and put it into a box, for later restocking and organization. Now, go outside and make sure all the pockets are open. Turn upside down and shake, shake, shake! More stuff will fall out. You want the interior pockets to be relatively clean.
Before washing, close and zip all the pockets. Spray any stains with a stain remover. Now wash in warm/cold water. A short wash cycle is usually enough. Once washed, open all the pockets and zippers. Hang on a wooden hanger to let it dry. You can dry it in the dryer, but the snaps, zippers, and clips bang around a good bit.
Now inspect all the seams, zippers, and Velcro closures. This is so important. Failing to do this could mean losing a fly box full of flies. At $2.50/ fly, do the Math. Make the repairs. Use a pair of needle nose pliers to seal any zipper butt end metal clips. Use a candle to rub wax onto the zipper teeth. This will lubricate them. Sew any tears or loose seams. Trim off any threads or loose edges.
Many of the zipper pulls have a metal loop that holds the zipper pull blade. There is a small gap between the pull and the loop that fishing line easily slips into. If you have this problem, you know exactly what I mean. Use pliers to compress slightly or apply some silicon adhesive to close this gap.
Once your vest is cleaned and tuned up, restock the vest with your gear. Keep things where you are used to and maybe add a few new gadgets to make your fishing more fun.
Keep your vest in Zip Top Shape.
Montana Grant
For more Montana Grant, find him washing at www.montanagrantfishing.com.
