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"It was a pretty nasty bang": Freddie Flintoff airlifted to hospital

Andrew “Freddie” Flintoff is recovering from a "nasty" accident while filming for Top Gear, according to his friend Piers Morgan. The former English cricketer, 45, was airlifted to hospital on Tuesday after receiving medical care at the scene, following a crash at an aerodrome in Surrey. Piers said he had spoken to Freddie's family, and said the TV host is remaining in good spirits. “I’m told it was a pretty serious crash and that Freddie’s going to be OK, but it might be a little bit more serious than first appreciated,” he told talkSPORT. “I’m told he’s going to be OK, which is great news, but I’m also told it was a pretty nasty bang and that he’s had surgery and is recovering now and we’ll have to wait and see." “I’ve been in contact with them privately but I just want to wish him and his family – Rachael, his wife – all the very best and I think we’re all just keeping our fingers crossed that the big man comes through all right.” It is understood that the crash did not happen at high speed, with all health and safety precautions said to have been in place. The health and safety watchdog said it was “aware and making inquiries” after the BBC reported the incident, as was standard procedure. A BBC spokesperson said at the time, “Freddie was injured in an accident at the Top Gear test track this morning, with crew medics attending the scene immediately. He has been taken to hospital for further treatment and we will confirm more details in due course.” Image credits: Getty Images

Caring

740,000km of fishing line and 14 billion hooks: we reveal just how much fishing gear is lost at sea each year

Two per cent of all fishing gear used worldwide ends up polluting the oceans, our <a href="https://doi.org/10.1126/sciadv.abq0135" target="_blank" rel="noopener">new research</a> finds. To put that into perspective, the amount of longline fishing gear littering the ocean each year can circle the Earth more than 18 times. We interviewed 450 fishers from seven of the world’s biggest fishing countries including Peru, Indonesia, Morocco and the United States, to find out just how much gear enters the global ocean. We found at current loss rates, in 65 years there would be enough fishing nets littering the sea to cover the entire planet. This lost fishing equipment, known as ghost gear, can cause heavy social, economic and environmental damage. Hundreds of thousands of animals <a href="https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11160-018-9520-7" target="_blank" rel="noopener">are estimated to die</a> each year from unintentional capture in fishing nets. Derelict nets can continue to fish indiscriminately for decades. Our research findings help highlight where to focus efforts to stem the tide of fishing pollution. It can also help inform fisheries management and policy interventions from local to global scales. <h2>14 billion longline hooks litter the sea each year</h2> The data we collected came directly from fishers themselves. They experience this issue firsthand and are best poised to inform our understanding of fishing gear losses. We surveyed fishers using five major gear types: gillnets, longlines, purse seine nets, trawl nets, and pots and traps. We asked how much fishing gear they used and lost annually, and what gear and vessel characteristics could be making the problem worse. This included vessel and gear size, whether the gear contacts the seafloor, and the total amount of gear used by the vessel. We coupled these surveys with information on global fishing effort data from commercial fisheries. Fishers use different types of nets to catch different types of fish. Our research found the amount of nets littering the ocean each year include: <ul> <li>740,000 kilometres of longline mainlines</li> <li>nearly 3,000 square kilometres of gill nets</li> <li>218 square kilometres of trawl nets</li> <li>75,000 square kilometres of purse seine nets</li> </ul> In addition, fishers lose over 25 million pots and traps and nearly 14 billion longline hooks each year. These estimates cover only commercial fisheries, and don’t include <a href="https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-3-319-97758-4_15" target="_blank" rel="noopener">the amount</a> of fishing line and other gear lost by recreational fishers. We also estimate that between 1.7% and 4.6% of all land-based plastic waste travels into the sea. This amount likely exceeds lost fishing gear. However, fishing gear is designed to catch animals and so is generally understood as <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0308597X15002985" target="_blank" rel="noopener">the most environmentally damaging</a> type of plastic pollution in research to date. <h2>Harming fishers and marine life</h2> Nearly 700 species of marine life <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0025326X14008571?via%3Dihub" target="_blank" rel="noopener">are known to</a> interact with marine debris, many of which are near threatened. Australian and US <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0308597X15002985#bib6" target="_blank" rel="noopener">research in 2016</a> found fishing gear poses the biggest entanglement threats to marine fauna such as sea turtles, marine mammals, seabirds and whales. Other marine wildlife including sawfish, dugong, hammerhead sharks and crocodiles are also known to get <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/j.1442-8903.2010.00525.x" target="_blank" rel="noopener">entangled in fishing gear</a>. Other <a href="https://conbio.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/conl.12781" target="_blank" rel="noopener">key problematic items</a> include balloons and plastic bags. Lost fishing gear is not only an environmental risk, but it also has an economic impact for the fishers themselves. Every metre of lost net or line is a cost to the fisher – not only to replace the gear but also in its potential catch. <figure></figure> Additionally, many fisheries have already gone through significant reforms to reduce their environmental impact and improve the sustainability of their operations. Some losses are attributable to how gear is operated. For instance, bottom trawl nets – which can get caught on reefs – are lost more often that nets that don’t make contact with the sea floor. The conditions of the ocean can also make a significant difference. For example, fishers commonly reported that bad weather and overcrowding contributes to gear losses. Conflicts between gears coming into contact can also result in gear losses, such as when towed nets cross drifting longlines or gillnets. Where fish are depleted, fishers must expend more effort, operate in worse conditions or locations, and are more likely to come in contact with others’ gear. All these features increase losses. <h2>What do we do about it?</h2> We actually found lower levels of fishing gear losses in our current study than in <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/faf.12407" target="_blank" rel="noopener">a previous review</a> of the historical literature on the topic. Technological improvements, such as better weather forecasts and improved marking and tracking of fishing gear may be reducing loss rates. Incentives can further reduce losses resulting in ghost gear. This could include buyback programs for end-of-life fishing gear, reduced cost loans for net replacement, and waste receptacles in ports to encourage fishers to return used fishing gear. Technological improvements and management interventions could also make a difference, such as requirements to mark and track gear, as well as regular gear maintenance and repairs. Developing effective fishing management systems can improve food security, leave us with a healthier environment, and create more profitable businesses for the fishers who operate in it. This article originally appeared on <a href="https://theconversation.com/740-000km-of-fishing-line-and-14-billion-hooks-we-reveal-just-how-much-fishing-gear-is-lost-at-sea-each-year-192024" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Conversation</a>. Image: CSIRO

Travel Trouble

Jetstar pilots forgot to lower landing gear on approach

Pilots of a Jetstar flight forgot to lower the plane’s landing gear on approach to a NSW airport due to “a series of distractions”, the Australian Transport Safety Bureau has found. The pilots of a Jetstar A320 aircraft were approaching Ballina-Byron Gateway Airport on May 18, 2018 when they were forced to abort two landings due to the oversight, a report by the bureau found. It was found that on the first attempt, the flight crew “<a href="https://7news.com.au/travel/air-aviation/pilot-of-jetstar-flight-forgot-to-lower-landing-gear-on-approach-to-ballina-airport-report-c-599719">conducted a go-around</a>” because the captain found the plane’s airspeed and altitude were higher than normal for an approach. The crew realised the landing gear was not down on the second attempt, and the flight landed safely on its third attempt. The ATSB found the crew did not follow Jetstar’s standard procedures during the first go-around, resulting in distractions that contributed to the landing gear oversight. “During the downwind leg following the first go-around, the flight crew did not select the landing gear down as they had commenced the configuration sequence for landing at the Flaps 3 setting,” the report said. “Furthermore the flight crew incorrectly actioned the landing checklist, which prevented the incorrect configuration for landing being identified and corrected.” Dr Stuart Godley, ATSB Director Transport Safety Director, said the incident showed how “<a href="https://10daily.com.au/news/australia/a191210fmrex/distracted-jetstar-pilots-forgot-to-lower-landing-gear-20191211">unexpected events during approach and landing</a>” can “substantially” increase the flight crew’s workload. “Following standard procedures mitigates the risk of the selection of inappropriate auto-flight modes, unexpected developments, or confusion about roles or procedures that can contribute to decisions and actions that increase the safety risk to the aircraft and its passengers,” Godley said. Following the incident, Jetstar Airways said the flight crew members involved attended debriefings with flight operations management and were provided with related simulator and line flying training.

Travel Trouble

High-tech fishing gear could help save endangered right whales

Many fish, marine mammals and seabirds that inhabit the world’s oceans are critically endangered, but few are as close to the brink as the North Atlantic right whale (Eubalaena glacialis). <a href="https://www.narwc.org/uploads/1/1/6/6/116623219/2018report_cardfinal.pdf">Only about 411 of these whales exist today</a>, and at their current rate of decline, they could become extinct within our lifetimes. From 1980 through about 2010, conservation efforts focused mainly on protecting whales from being struck by ships. Federal regulations helped <a href="https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/national/endangered-species-conservation/reducing-ship-strikes-north-atlantic-right-whales">reduce vessel collisions</a> and supported a slight rebound in right whale numbers. But at the same time, growing numbers of right whales died after becoming entangled in lobster and crab fishing gear, and the population has taken a significant downward turn. This may have happened because fishing ropes became stronger, and both whales and fishermen shifted their ranges so that areas of overlap increased. In research that is <a href="https://www.int-res.com/prepress/d03376.html">currently in press</a>, we show that 72% of diagnosed mortalities between 2010-2018 occurred due to entanglements. This comes after a millennium of whaling that decimated the right whale population, reducing it from perhaps between <a href="https://doi.org/10.1111/cobi.12664">10,000 to 20,000</a> to a few hundred animals today. And entanglement deaths are <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2012/230653">much more inhumane</a> than harpoons. A whaler’s explosive harpoon kills quickly, compared to months of drawn-out pain and debilitation caused by seemingly harmless fishing lines. We believe these deaths can be prevented by working with the trap fishing industries to adopt <a href="https://ropeless.org/">ropeless fishing gear</a> – but North Atlantic right whales are running out of time. Deadly encounters Whalers pursued right whales for centuries because this species swam relatively slowly and floated when dead, so it was easier to kill and retrieve than other whales. By the mid-20th century, scientists assumed they had been hunted to extinction. But in 1980, researchers from the New England Aquarium who were studying marine mammal distribution in the Bay of Fundy off eastern Canada were stunned when they <a href="https://www.canadianwhaleinstitute.ca/habitats">sighted 26 right whales</a>. Conservation efforts led to the enactment of regulations that required commercial ships to <a href="https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/national/endangered-species-conservation/reducing-ship-strikes-north-atlantic-right-whales">slow down</a> in zones along the U.S. Atlantic coast where they were highly likely to encounter whales, reducing boat strikes. But this victory has been offset by rising numbers of entanglements. Adult right whales can produce up to an estimated <a href="https://doi.org/10.1111/mms.12230">8,000 pounds of force</a> with a single stroke of their flukes. When they become tangled in fishing gear, they often break it and swim off trailing ropes and sometimes crab or lobster traps. Lines and gear can wrap around a whale’s body, flukes, flippers and mouth. They impede swimming and feeding, and cause chronic infection, emaciation and damage to blubber, muscle and bone. Ultimately these injuries weaken the animal until it dies, <a href="https://doi.org/10.1093/icesjms/fsu008">which can take months to years</a>. One of us, <a href="https://scholar.google.com/citations?hl=en&user=DQ-fD1QAAAAJ">Michael Moore</a>, is trained as a veterinarian and has examined many entangled dead whales. Moore has seen fishing rope embedded inches deep into a whale’s lip, and a juvenile whale whose spine had been deformed by the strain of dragging fishing gear. Other animals had flippers nearly severed by swimming wrapped in inexorably constricting ropes. Entanglement injuries to right whales are the worst animal trauma Moore has seen in his career. Even if whales are able to wriggle free and live, the extreme stress and energy demands of entanglement, along with inadequate nutrition, are thought to be <a href="https://doi.org/10.1002/ece3.2615">preventing females from getting pregnant</a> and contributing to record low calving rates in recent years. Solutions for whales and fishermen The greatest entanglement risk is from ropes that lobster and crab fishermen use to attach buoys to traps they set on the ocean floor. Humpback and minke whales and leatherback sea turtles, all of which are federally protected, also become entangled. Conservationists are looking for ways to modify or eliminate these ropes. Rock lobster fishermen in Australia already use <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WeeieRr7sTw">pop-up buoys</a> that ascend when they receive sound signals from fishing boats. The buoys trail out ropes as they rise, which fishermen retrieve and use to pull up their traps. Other technologies are <a href="https://www.wnpr.org/post/innovations-fishing-gear-could-change-lobster-industry-help-endangered-right-whale">in development</a>, including systems that <a href="https://ropeless.org/november-6th-2018-presentations/">acoustically identify traps on the seafloor</a> and mark them with “virtual buoys” on fishermen’s chart plotters, eliminating the need for surface buoys. Fishermen also routinely use a customized hook on the end of a rope to catch the line between traps and haul them to the surface when the buoy line goes missing. Transitioning to ropeless technology will require a sea change in some of North America’s most valuable fisheries. The 2016 U.S. lobster catch was worth <a href="https://www.st.nmfs.noaa.gov/commercial-fisheries/commercial-landings/annual-landings/index">US$670 million</a>. Canadian fishermen landed <a href="http://www.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/stats/commercial/land-debarq/sea-maritimes/s2016av-eng.htm">CA$1.3 billion</a> worth of lobster and <a href="http://www.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/stats/commercial/land-debarq/sea-maritimes/s2016av-eng.htm">CA$590 million</a> worth of snow crab. Just as no fisherman wants to catch a whale, researchers and conservationists don’t want to put fishermen out of business. In our view, ropeless technologies offer a genuine opportunity for whales and the fishing industry to co-exist if they can be made functional, affordable and safe to use. Switching to ropeless gear is <a href="https://www.smithsonianmag.com/innovation/lobster-trap-aims-protect-endangered-whalesand-fishers-livelihoods-180971208/">unlikely to be cheap</a>. But as systems evolve and simplify, and production scales up, they will become more affordable. And government support could help fishermen make the shift. In Canada, the federal and New Brunswick provincial governments recently awarded CA$2 million to Canadian snow crab fishermen to <a href="https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/new-brunswick/snow-crab-right-whale-fishing-gear-research-1.5143321">test two ropeless trap designs</a>. Converting could save fishermen money in the long run. For example, California Dungeness crab fishermen closed their 2019 season three months ahead of schedule on April 15 to settle a lawsuit over whale entanglements, leaving crab they could have caught still in the water. Under the agreement, fishermen using ropeless gear will be <a href="https://www.nationalfisherman.com/west-coast-pacific/dungeness-drag/">exempt from future early closures</a>. A rebound is possible The <a href="https://www.fws.gov/endangered/laws-policies/">Endangered Species Act</a> and <a href="https://www.fws.gov/international/laws-treaties-agreements/us-conservation-laws/marine-mammal-protection-act.html">Marine Mammal Protection Act</a> require the U.S. government to conserve endangered species. In Congress, the pending <a href="https://www.congress.gov/bill/116th-congress/house-bill/1568/text?q=%7B%22search%22%3A%5B%22H.R.+3729%22%5D%7D">SAVE Right Whales Act of 2019</a> would provide $5 million annually for collaborative research into preventing mortalities caused by the fishing and shipping industries. And an advisory committee to the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration recently recommended <a href="https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/feature-story/team-reaches-nearly-unanimous-consensus-right-whale-survival-measures">significant fishing protections</a>, focused primarily on reducing the number of ropes in the water column and the strength of the remaining lines. Consumers can also help. Public outcry over dolphin bycatch in tuna fisheries spurred passage of the Marine Mammal Protection Act and led to <a href="https://swfsc.noaa.gov/textblock.aspx?Division=PRD&ParentMenuId=228&id=1408">dolphin-safe tuna labeling</a>, which ultimately reduced dolphin mortalities from half a million to about 1,000 animals annually. Choosing lobster and crab products <a href="https://doi.org/10.1093/icesjms/fsy194">caught without endangering whales</a> could accelerate a similar transition. North Atlantic right whales can still thrive if humans make it possible. The closely related southern right whale (Eubalaena australis), which has faced few human threats since the end of commercial whaling, has rebounded from just 300 animals in the early 20th century to an <a href="https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/resource/document/southern-right-whale-eubalaena-australis-5-year-review-summary-and-evaluation">estimated 15,000 in 2010</a>. There are real ways to save North Atlantic right whales. If they go extinct, it will be on this generation’s watch. Editor’s note: This article was updated on May 28, 2019 to correct the number of North Atlantic right whale deaths in recent years that were caused by entanglements.<img style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important; text-shadow: none !important;" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/115974/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /> <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/michael-moore-652534">Michael Moore</a>, Senior Scientist, <a href="http://theconversation.com/institutions/woods-hole-oceanographic-institution-954">Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution</a> and <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/hannah-myers-726400">Hannah Myers</a>, Guest Investigator, <a href="http://theconversation.com/institutions/woods-hole-oceanographic-institution-954">Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution</a> This article is republished from <a href="http://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/high-tech-fishing-gear-could-help-save-critically-endangered-right-whales-115974">original article</a>.

Family & Pets

Prince Charles gears up for showdown with Prince Andrew

Prince Charles is reportedly furious with his brother Prince Andrew as the scandals surrounding the Duke of York continue to grow. As the Prince of Wales is flying back to the United Kingdom after his tour of New Zealand and the Solomon Islands, he is reportedly furious about his brother’s disastrous BBC interview. According to insiders, the Prince of Wales is furious that the BBC interview overshadowed his royal tour and is planning to speak to the Duke of York when he returns on Tuesday. This comes after Buckingham Palace confirmed that Prince Andrew would be “standing back” from all his patronages as well as his royal duties. “The Duke has over 230 patronages. He will be stepping back from public duty and temporarily standing back from all his patronages,” a spokeswoman told the PA news agency. However, Prince Andrew will continue to work on his Pitch@Palace program, which is a program designed to help young entrepreneurs. The program was dropped by several Australian universities last week after the interview. “(The Duke) will look at how he takes this forward outside of his public duties, and outside of Buckingham Palace. We recognise there will be a period of time while this transition takes place,” the spokeswoman said. A royal insider told <a rel="noopener" href="https://www.thetimes.co.uk/edition/news/prince-andrew-election-fears-made-charles-call-for-duke-to-be-removed-39xfn0ntn" target="_blank">The Times</a> that questioning whether or not Prince Andrew was “fit for purpose” on IITV was the final straw for Prince Charles. The questions were posed to Boris Johnson and Jeremy Corbyn during their first election debate. “Prince Charles and his private secretary were determined that this should not be allowed to drag on and on. The question of the election was critical,” they said. Former BBC correspondent Peter Hunt says that the Queen had no choice but to make her son step down after the scandal. “After her error of judgment when she let Andrew do the interview, the palace are keen to show a decisive Queen,” former BBC correspondent Peter Hunt said on Twitter. “But it’s Charles and his people who are increasingly pulling the strings.”

International Travel

“You spoilt brat”: Ex-Top Gear host Jeremy Clarkson lashes out at Greta Thunberg

Former Top Gear host Jeremy Clarkson has made his thoughts about climate change activist Greta Thunberg known, saying that she is a “spoilt brat” and that she should “shut up and get back to school”. Greta Thunberg, 16, made headlines after speaking at the United Nations Climate Action summit summit, saying to leaders and politicians that they “stole her childhood”. “I shouldn't be up here. I should be back in school on the other side of the ocean. Yet you all come to us for hope. How dare you. You have stolen my dreams and my childhood with your empty words,” the Swedish activist thundered in her speech at the Climate Action Summit 2019 in New York. Clarkson didn’t take too kindly to those words and branded her a “spoilt brat” in his column for <a rel="noopener" href="https://www.thesun.co.uk/news/10022396/greta-thunberg-meltdown-wont-help-world/" target="_blank">The Sun</a>. “How dare you sail to America on a carbon fibre yacht that you didn’t build which cost £15million, that you didn’t earn, and which has a back-up diesel engine that you didn’t mention,” Clarkson wrote. “We gave you mobile phones and laptops and the internet. We created the social media you use every day and we run the banks that pay for it all. So how dare you stand there and lecture us, you spoilt brat.” Clarkson continued with his rant, saying that Thunberg should “get back to school”. “Something needs to be done about that. So how’s this for an idea. Get back to school as quickly as possible and work hard in your science lectures. Because science is what will solve the problem eventually. Not scowling and having screaming ab-dabs every five minutes.” Clarkson finished his rant by saying that Thunberg should “shut up”. “Many thousands of people who you had the temerity to blame this week are trying to do exactly what you want. So be a good girl, shut up and let them get on with it.” Clarkson’s own daughter Emily has hit back on Twitter, voicing her anger over “middle age blokes” not speaking kindly about Thunberg. Emily Clarkson retweeted a comment from Comedian John Bishop directed at Greta Thunberg which read: “You are an inspirational person. You have breathed life into the climate debate that was failing to get the attention it deserved. Whatever happens with the world it is a better place with you in it.” Emily shared the post with the comment aimed at her father: “Wouldn’t it be nice if all middle aged blokes could talk to and about Greta, the ballsy af teenager out there changing the world, like this.” Jeremy replied: “Wouldn’t it be nice if she learned some manners.” To which Emily hit back: “A woman doesn’t need to be polite to make a point.”

News

Jeremy Clarkson rushed to hospital

Former Top Gear host Jeremy Clarkson has been rushed to hospital during a family holiday in Spain, where the 57-year-old television personality is being treated for pneumonia. Clarkson confirmed the news in a photograph posted to his Instagram account, writing the captions, “Not the sort of bangles I usually choose on holiday.” <img width="500" height="498" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/40699/jeremy-clarkson_500x498.jpg" alt="Jeremy -Clarkson"/> Image credit: Instagram / Jeremy Clarkson Clarkson, who now hosts The Grand Tour with Richard Hammond and James May, was reportedly on a break in Spain with his family when he first fell ill. “Jeremy Clarkson was admitted to hospital on Friday morning during a family holiday in Spain and is being treated for pneumonia," a spokesperson for The Grand Tour said. This latest setback for the program comes just two months after Hammond was airlifted to the hospital, when his vehicle had crashed while filming a segment. Here’s hoping he gets well soon.

Caring

8 products that make travelling a breeze

It’s amazing how a little piece of travel gear can make such a significant difference to your trip. Here are eight items you shouldn’t leave home without. 1. Lightweight rolling luggage– some of these items might seem expensive but when you notice how easy it is to move you lightweight rolling luggage around airport terminals you’ll agree it’s well worth the investment. 2. Small travel kit – when you’re away you’re going to need a place to put your important documents, keys and any other essentials like medication. This is why it’s important to invest in a small, easy to carry travel kit that will ensure all of your items are safely housed and easy to carry. 3. Compression socks – deep vein thrombosis is a very serious issue, so it pays to invest in a set of proper fitting compression socks to keep the circulation going in your legs and feet. Make sure you take the time to stand up and walk up and down the aisle about once an hour as well. 4. Neck pillow – a stiff neck can get a trip off to a really poor start. Make sure you’re ready for long rides on any plane or bus by getting yourself a comfortable neck pillow to have some rest. 5. Folding cane with seat attachment – these handy devices can make those longs walks you have to do while travelling so much easier and can provide much relief while waiting in long lines. 6. Small, lightweight knapsack – for day activities where you only need to carry water, camera, rain jacket/sweater, snacks and keeping souvenirs a small, lightweight knapsack is very handy. 7. Attachable eyeglass case – the last thing you want to happen when you’re headed overseas is losing or snapping your glasses. Ensure that this fate won’t befall you with an attachable eyeglass case. 8. Refillable water bottle – this one might seem obvious but you’d be surprised at how many people waste money by buying bottled water. Just bring a refillable one and top it up when you need. Related links: <a href="http://www.oversixty.co.nz/travel/travel-tips/2016/02/tips-for-handling-flight-delays/">5 tips for dealing with flight delays</a> <a href="http://www.oversixty.co.nz/travel/travel-tips/2016/02/photo-shows-german-shepherd-enjoying-flight/">German Shepherd really enjoys plane ride</a> <a href="http://www.oversixty.co.nz/travel/travel-tips/2016/02/tips-for-travelling-with-people-that-get-on-your-nerves/">Tips for travelling with people that get on your nerves</a>

Travel Tips

How to clean and maintain your fishing gear

Cleaning and maintenance is the best way of getting a long life and good service out of all your outdoor gear and equipment, and so it is, and possibly even more so with fishing tackle. Tackle that is used solely in freshwater fishing requires less maintenance than saltwater gear, but never the less, following a regular maintenance regime when it comes to your fishing tackle will not only see it last longer and perform better, but be able to survive any encounter with that fish of a lifetime! Fishing lines are often the first items to show signs of wear and tear, they become frayed and damaged with use, especially when your fishing around areas that have jagged rocks, timber jetties, trees and gritty sand. Lines should be replaced every 12 months or more regularly depending on the amount of fishing you do. If the forward sections of the lines are frayed or you’ve lost a fair amount of the forward section of line off the reel, which can hamper effective casting, it is possible to top up the spool with line instead of replacing all of the line on the spool. Reels should be washed with a gentle flow of freshwater after every fishing outing in saltwater and every few months if being used in freshwater environments. Don’t use any soap when cleaning, simply rinse off any grime or salt with a thorough washing and wipe down with a dry towel. Let them dry out completely before packing away to avoid retaining moisture. Rusty hooks should be discarded from your tackle box to avoid them turning good hooks rusty as well. Treble hooks on lures likewise. Again, as with reels, thoroughly rinsing lures that have been used in saltwater immediately after use and then allowed to dry, will maintain the quality of your lures and their hooks for longer. If you’re not in the habit of testing and re-sharpening the points on bait or lure hooks when out fishing, you should start doing so. Sharp hooks mean more hook-ups! Sand should be removed from sinkers by brushing or rinsing with freshwater, as should other terminal tackle. Cleaning your fishing rods is also important. Use a soft clean cloth to wipe off any fish scales stuck to your rod. Wash down with freshwater immediately after fishing in the salt or inland areas where the water is very muddy and turbid. You can help preserve your rods sheen by periodically wiping down the blank with furniture polish. Runners or line guides should be checked to make sure they are not broken or bent and the internal rings should be checked for any potential line cutting nicks that could also lose that trophy fish. Avoid leaning rods against walls when they’re not being used as this can lead to them taking on a “set” or bend. Either stand them vertically in a rod holder or hang them in a cool, dry location. Turning tackle For the most part, quality tackle performs well and needs little adjusting. However, there are always ways in which you can improve the performance to correct minor problems that pop up with continual use and normal wear and tear. Fishing reels for example can develop a rough drag system and this results in line coming off the reel in fits and starts instead of a smooth constant drag. It’s quite simple to pull the drag system apart on spinning reels; the drag system usually consists of a series of metal and compression material discs that can be removed and washed with white spirits to remove the build-up of grease or grime that is likely causing the drag to grab and jump. Lures can be bent out of shape as a result of knocks and torsional stresses when fighting fish, but can be carefully adjusted to swim correctly again. If a swimming lure is veering off to one side or the other, use a pair of long nosed pliers and carefully bend the towing eyelet – in the direction the lure is swimming towards – and this should correct any misalignment and allow it to track straight and true again. Like washing cars and unpacking after a camping trip, maintaining and washing down tackle is often seen as a chore or neglected altogether. But if you can get yourself into a routine to wash, clean, check and pack away after every trip you will notice the difference in the long run. It really does make a noticeable difference. First appeared on the Ray’s Outdoors website. <a href="http://blog.raysoutdoors.com.au/expertadvice?category=Camping" target="_blank">Visit them </a><a href="http://blog.raysoutdoors.com.au/expertadvice?category=Camping" target="_blank">here for more camping advice</a>. Related links: <a href="/lifestyle/caravan-camping/2015/02/great-spots-for-camping/">Great destinations for campers</a> <a href="/lifestyle/caravan-camping/2015/02/part-2-the-best-national-parks-across-australia/">The best national parks across Australia</a> <a href="/lifestyle/caravan-camping/2015/02/fun-camping-activities-for-the-whole-family/">Fun camping activities for the whole family</a>

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