After I posted a while ago about a very simple reel-drag test you can do at home, some readers asked about how to set a drag in the first place. Here are a few tips that will help. The general rule for freshwater reels spooled with nylon mono is to set your drag tension at one-third to one-half of your line’s breaking strength. That’s fine in theory but difficult in practice because it requires at least a spring scale to measure the force required to pull line from the reel as you fiddle with the drag-adjustment knob. Most people won’t take the trouble. Instead, they’ll just pull line from the reel and adjust the drag until it “feels right.” That’s what I do most of the time, too.

But how do you know what “feels right” should be? Do this simple test. Rig up your midweight spinning or baitcasting rod and reel, then go in the kitchen and find a 5-pound bag of sugar. Put the bag of sugar in a plastic grocery bag (so it doesn’t break open), and tie your line to the grocery bag. Then lift that 5-pound weight off the floor. First, it will feel like a lot more than 5 pounds, and second your rod will be seriously bent over. Now adjust your drag so it slips slightly at that weight.

Most people are amazed at how heavy 5 pounds really feels. If using ultralight spinning gear and 4-pound mono, say, use a lighter, appropriate weight such as a 1-pound box of margarine. The point is that you now have some idea of the right “feel” with which to set your drag. From that point, use more or less drag in fishing as need be. Most midsize spinners and baitcasters have a maximum drag of 10 to 12 pounds, which you’ll almost certainly never need. Some even advertise drags strong enough to stop a train, which is, of course, ridiculous. Unless you’re actually fishing for trains....

There are lots of anglers and charter captains who won’t take any bananas on a fishing boat because bananas have a long-standing reputation as a jinx. According to the latest issue of the IGFA newsletter, this superstition was first described by angler Harlan Major in his 1952 book, "Fishing Behind The Eight Ball." Major supposedly “proved” the banana problem by smuggling a banana on board a charter boat and then spending the day catching nothing.

I am not a superstitious guy. But I’ve heard the banana thing so often from so many people that I don’t take a banana on my boat either. Why tempt fate when I’d rather live without bananas than without fish?

I don’t carry a rabbit’s foot, and I don’t mind walking under a ladder (after first looking up). Our housecat is all black, and she crosses my path several times a day.When it comes to fishing, I have no lucky charms tucked in my vest or boat.

But maybe--just maybe--there’s something to angling superstitions after all. Fishing luck is a funny thing. Who knows what controls it? If I search long enough, I know I’ll be able to find a couple of 4- leaf clovers in the yard. Maybe I’ll put one in a tackle box, just in case...

A report by the Reuters news service that I found courtesy of MidCurrent last week indicates that people tend to fish more when economic times get tough. Fishing--at least fishing locally--it turns out can be less expensive than going to the movies or playing a round of golf. At a time when many families are pinching pennies, fishing can also put food on the table.

This does not just mean those subsistence anglers who crowd bridges and jetties with cane poles and plastic buckets. It is hundreds if not thousands of dollars cheaper for me to fish a local trout stream than if I were to fly out to Montana for a few days of guided fishing. And even for those who still have steady jobs and good incomes, the daily barrage of bad financial news at the very least puts a damper on spending. The entire country, it seems, is in hunker-down mode.

That's going to be bad news for destination-based tackle shops, resorts, and fishing guides this summer, which is very unfortunate. For anglers, though, fishing locally doesn't necessarily mean fishing less. This season I'll be fishing as much if not more than I usually do. But I'll be fishing the closest river or hauling my boat to the nearest lake instead of driving for several hours, paying for a motel, and so on.

Different people will handle this in different ways, of course. Are you going to rack up your rods when times get tough, and stay home to watch television? Or maybe you'll take another look at the creek just down the road....

Come on. Get your mind out of the gutter. I'm not talking about that kind of leather. I'm talking about the hand-made leather fly gear produced by Joe Goertzen of Missoula, Montana. I met Joe back in January at the Somerset Fly Fishing Show in NJ. It was his first year working the winter show circuit, and I found his booth by happenstance when his fly bag (above) caught my eye in a sea of Sage, Orvis, and Simms wares.

I've always been a fan of the little companies fighting the good fight amongst the knowns, because the stuff they make is usually built with love. Joe's gear is no exception. Top to bottom, his bags and lanyards (as well as climbing gear and hunting gear) is in no small way more art than anything as far as I'm concerned. To check out his full line, visit his website.

So I've got one of his lanyards, and I'm really digging the idea of it. The problem is, I'm OCD when it comes to carrying any kind of tackle. Whether I can strip down the necessities to make it work, I'm not sure, but I'm gonna try. I'll write my medicine allergies and home phone number on the back, so if you find me on the river curled up and shaking because I don't have the right size Adams, you'll be able to help me.

Have you narrowed your fly selection down enough to wade in with all you need around your neck?

JC