Always check your ring(s)

I can be a bit premature. Well the season is still a couple of months away and here I am worrying about an issue that will only become an issue in the future. However lessons are learnt in life the hard way and once learnt you ignore them at your peril.

Rod rings need love; well they need a check every now and then. Come on when did you last check your rings? Thing is they take some wear and tear during every outing and it does not matter whether you are a boat man or a shore man they will get damaged.  3 Fishes lovely stainless steel railings are hard, a dam sight harder than rod rings and as for barnacles!

I'm not going to pretend to know what the centre of each ring is made of - I guess I could google it but I'm not all that bothered. What worries me its that the stuff cracks, chips and falls out of its metal container; and the slightest blemish on an otherwise perfect ring will cause pain and discomfort!

If your reel line (braid or nylon) is going furry then the likelihood is that you have a damaged ring (the other place to check is the bail arm of your reel). But I have known no obvious warning to occur. A little chip on the outside of a rod ring sits there quietly waiting for its opportunity. An over powered cast and suddenly the line parts and your twenty five quid lure sails peacefully into the distance never to be seen again. Now that is a lovely feeling.............

The stuff that rings are made of is razor sharp when cracked or chipped. Its a ceramic like substance. Am I making this up or did I read somewhere that surgeons use ceramic blades in the operating theatre these days because they are sharper than metal? Whatever it cuts braid and nylon for fun. So please lads and lassies be premature and lads check your rings now!