Taking care of your fly set up.

J

Jimbo87

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Mar 7, 2012
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85
Alright, so I got out there and did my best imitation of a fly fisherman. It essentially equated to looking like an indiot in the middle of a creek waving a stick around.

What do you do to take care of your line, rod, flies after you're done? Do you strip out your line and dry it off? Ever have to oil your reel? Steal your girlfriends blow dryer to dry off your flies?

Or, like my spinner set up - do I just pack it up, and throw it in truck? Only ever have to oil the reel once in a blue moon....not a big deal.

Any input is appreciated!
 
I clean my line about this time every year....and that's about it.

I make sure my waders are hung and my boots can get some air circulated by them.
 
So don't bother drying off your line after you're done or anything like that? I didn't know if leaving the line wet on the reel would "rot" the fly line or anything like that.
 
I actually just got done with my annual cleaning (Of my fly gear I mean). The main reel I use came with maintenance instructions, which include taking off the spool and rinsing dirt and debris from the reel and spool. Then I add a oil (sparingly) to identified points, and a small amount of grease. I then cleaned my line by letting it soak in warm water with a little bit of mild detergent (as per the Rio website). I then dried it off and wiped over it with a cloth coated with a line conditioner (who knows if that actually does anything). I then re-waxed my rod ferrules with a little candle wax. That's pretty much it!
 
The only time I really go over things is if they get dunked (and I remember by the end of my fishing trip).

This goes for reel, chestpack, fly boxes, etc.

i'm just usally lazy and exhausted after fishing and don't worry about anything but my waders.
 
Hmm gotcha! I didn't know if there were any "must-dos" or what.
 
from what i remember from my last outting my reel is still full of fine grit sand , line has yet to be cleaned since i put it on two years ago flys are still on wool patch (some have fallen on floor and are in process of reverting back to dirt) boots are still muddy(i will clean before i go to a different creek though my lazyness will not be the reason for some parasite to get a new home)i do hang up my waders . what i will do before next trip. put flys away restock what was lost stolen forgotten in the fly department get to creek remember reel needs attention dunk in creek and try to clean as best a possible then fish rest of day. the nice thing about fly gear is really you can go an entire day without using the reel a lot assuming you dont catch any fish you would want to put on the reel.
 
Clean your line every once in a while. You should get an actual line cleaner to do so.

Store all rods in some sort of case. If you don't have one, then make one. PVC, 2 end caps with screw on caps. The regular caps can get stuck and then you're the one who's screwed.

Keep reels in a case to make sure they don't get banged up either.

Place used flies on a patch, or just keep your fly box open after use to let them dry out. You can rust out hooks if you have water trapped in you box.

Wash off waders. Dirt on breathable waders can cause leaks because it gets stuck in the pores of the waders.


Now ask me if I do all of these things.......
 
I clean my line after every day of fishing, unless I plan to use it the next day. I never go more than 2 days without cleaning the line (unless I forget).

I keep the rod out of the tube to let the cork air dry overnight.

After my wading shoes dry, I clean any debris out of the inside.

And I hang my waders and let them dry for a day before storing them. Sometimes I turn them inside out to let any perspiration dry, especially in the feet.

I guess this is why my equipment lasts so long.
 
One more thing:

Consider cleaning the cork every once in a while, especially if you hang on to rods as long as I have. I didn't do this decades ago, and recently I looked at (and smelled) some of my older rods. They were musty and disgusting, and the cork can get "punky". The problem that I had with this situation is the filler breaks down, and they don't look quite as good as new after you clean them.
 
There's a solution to that - Elmer's wood putty in the tube - golden oak color.

It takes a leap of faith to smear that stuff on your cork, but just apply with your finger to the pitted spots, so that the filler lies higher than the surrounding cork. Let dry overnight, then sand with fine grit sandpaper using a "shoe shine" motion with a strip of sandpaper.

The cork grip will look like new after this.
 
Your finger will look a little funny though!
 
Thanks for the tip Ed, will definitely try it.
 
It doesn't hurt to clean your line when you know it will be a while before you get out again or make sure that you get the sand out of the reel and wipe down the rod. When I first started I did it because I was just so excited and it seemed to be part of it, I mean I cleaned my bass fishing stuff often before going to all fly rod fishing.

I think it is up to the person, taking the time to wipe down the rod and clean the line and get any girt out of the reel is just part of it. I can't offord to be replacing things but I especially don't want to replace gear because I don't take care of it, I would be ticked at myself for being lazy.

I heard someone say that when they get a good rod they would take better care of it. I guess regardless if I buy a $150.00 Cabelas special or a $700.00 Sage rod, I don't buy a rod that I don't plan on having forever.

Taking care of your stuff is up to the person who has it.

"I'm only after the dumb ones"
 
It's not much different than spinning gear. There's lots of stuff that you can and should do. There's not much that's absolutely required, and most of those maintenance things you really aren't going to notice a difference.

Lines: It's best to clean em. Being wet isn't the issue, it's dirt which gathers on the surface. This makes it less slick and it doesn't cast as well, it wears out the guides sooner, and it can lead to cracking which reduces floatability of the line. Most recommend cleaning after every outing. But very few of us actually do that, it's mostly a once a year thing for me.

Guides: Repeated use can wear out the guides. Use a tip with alcohol and clean em occasionally. Keep the line clean.

Ferrules: Some recommend parafin wax. And that works great, but it then REQUIRES more maintenance, as if you just throw some wax on there and let it go, dirt will stick to it and wear the ferrules out sooner, plus cause a danger of not being able to take the rod apart. I do the q-tip with rubbing alcohol thing and then fish em dry. I do it at least once a year, meaning definitely every winter, and then make a point to do it after I dunk the rod, fall in some mud, or notice any dirt in there.

Reel: Every reel is different regarding it's "robustness", but you should make sure the gears are clean and oiled. Once a year maybe, more if you fish sandy places. It's probably LESS important than it is with a good spinning reel, but the idea is the same. Dirt and especially sand can wear out finely machined metal parts.

Waders and boots: Make sure you hang em up so air can get to them.

Leaders and tippet: Avoid UV light during long term storage.

None of this is any different than spinning gear, except maybe the fly line.
 
Thanks for all the input guys, every bit helps! I basically wanted to make sure I wasn't doing any major no-nos as far as taking care of my set up.
 
The only exception on the line wetting thing is silk lines. As a beginner, I assume you have a modern, plastic line, in which water isn't much of an issue. Back in the day of silk lines and gut leaders, yes, you had to lay them out to dry after every outing. And in modern days, there's a sub-culture in our sport where old stuff is coming back in. Bamboo, etc. And yes, silk lines.

P.S. On wading boots. Air dry at room temp. DO NOT stick them next to a fire, on the blower to the furnace, leave em out in the sun on hot pavement, or any such thing to speed the drying. Especially if there's any leather involved. And if they are leather, as with any leather product, the leather conditioners help a lot. And it's especially true with wading boots, which when submerged and subjected to wet-dry cycles, lose the oils and such very quickly. I use Obenauf's heavy duty LP frequently, several times a year on my wading boots, and once per year on virtually everything else that's leather. Works like magic.
 
If the cork is dirty-clean it with denatured alcohol,then give it a couple or 3 coats of armor-all and you will never have to clean it again.Really,really suggest do it to all new rods before using them and you will never have problems with the grip.
Catching fish is something else.
 
Second the denatured alcohol and armorall treatment for cork handles. As for general question re:rod/reel care:

Graphite/Glass rods: wipe the down with a damp cloth each winter nd clean the cork as outlined by Pete.
Bamboo: wipe with damp cloth after each use and inspect th rod for any damage. Wax annually with past wax and clean handle.
Reels: clean thoroughly each winter and lubricate per manufacturer recommendation.
 
jon,

After you wipe down your cane rod with the damp cloth, I really hope you let it dry thoroughly before storing it. Great way to ruin a good stick if you let it mildew by putting it away damp.

I prefer to wipe my rods down with a dry cloth/shirt tail, then bag & tube it for the ride home. Then let 'em air out in the rack at least overnight before any sort of long term storage....
 
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