Good old maintenance

[rkfiske]

So...
I come to ask you guys what your usual (or annual) cleaning regime consists of. Mostly interested in line cleaning and what not. Any preferences on line dressing or something else you guys throw on there to keep your lines nice.

[Sasha]

I dunno about others but I just wipe my lines down every now and then with a damp cloth and water. I typically replace my lines about once a year or if they start to crack (whichever comes first).

[flybob]

Ryan, I second Sasha.
Cept I do it after each fishing trip! I pay out all the line on the lawn, get a damp wash cloth and and start to wipe the line.
Interestingly enough, even after fishing some of the cleaner waters, you would be surprised how much brown muck come off the line, I usually wipe until no more brown shows up on the cloth.
Don't forget to wipe down the rod too, our local waters have a ton of calcium and that can really * up your guides if left to build up, that build up is abrasive to the line!

I have yet to have a line crack on me, but my oldest line is only 3 years old.

JMO
bob

[fly addict]

I clean and apply some kind of line dressing on my lines after every fishing trip. Sometimes I do it on the trip if I'm fishing for more than a few days. Lines cast much better clean and float longer and last longer than dirtier lines. I also check to see that the screws are tight on my reels and lube if dry. Wiping down the rods and applying a coat of wax keeps them nice and new looking, and you might spot a chip or crack that could break on a nice fish. I also go through my fly box's and reorganize them with new flies based on where I plan on going next. Checking the tippet dispenser and refilling with new tippet material if needed is also on my list of things to do before any trip. I also reorganize my fishing vest after a trip. It is always full of sandwich and other wrappers; orange peels and half-eaten power bars are also surprises I also find in it. Sometime garbage that I pickup on the stream is stashed somewhere in it.

[rayfound]

When fishing, I like to pull my spool off and rinse the rocks out of my reel, whenever it stops turning.

Does that count?

[rkfiske]

That's better than me I just keep the rocks in and use it as an excuse for my poor fishing

[Sasha]

Crap you guys reminded me I have not cleaned any of my lines in months. I need to get on it

[Gary C.]

Crap you guys reminded me I have not cleaned any of my lines in months. I need to get on it

I was thinking the same thing, I have not cleaned my line since April

[COCarp]

Does it matter THAT much? I've haven't cleaned my line since I purchased it last fall?!?!

[briansII]

Crap you guys reminded me I have not cleaned any of my lines in months. I need to get on it

I was thinking the same thing, I have not cleaned my line since April

Me too! April 2006.

Look, I have a lot of flylines. If you guys expect me to keep them all clean, you have another thing coming...........

I'm lax to the extreme when it comes to maintance. About the only line maintance I do, is if the line gets really grungy from lawn casting. My pond/bass line are filthy.

briansII

[Flyjunkie]

I fill a Bucket with water from the water heater and place my Saltwater reels in it after an Outing... Leave them in there for about an Hour.. the Hot water dissolves any salt that has accumulated from a day's fishing...I'll then run some Cold water into the Bucket to cool the water down. I will then separate Spool from Frame and set them on Old Bath Towels in my Garage, allowing them to air dry over night.
I periodically strip off and Clean the Lines.. with line cleaner.. the Lines will shoot better from the Wash and Cleaning, cause nothing is more annoying then trying to cast salty Flyline...
I will wash down with a old wash Cloth the Rods after each trip, scrubbing every centimeter of rod to get any salt or dirt...

I even soak the flies in hot water to remove salt and stop corrosion (saltwater hooks can corrode if they get nicks in their finish and salt gets in there...)

My Stripping basket gets washed as well, as do my Pliers. the Pliers are then fixed open to dry and a Bit of WD 40 is sprayed into the joint...

about once a Year I use a Line winding tool to remove the Gel Spun backing. It is allowed to completely dry and then is reeled back onto the Spool. Gel spun doesn't rot like Dacron will, but it can get skunky if not taking off periodically and allowed to dry for a number of days...


Seems like a Lot of Work, but Taking Care of my Gear means my Gear will take care of Me when I get into some Big One...

[tomsakai]

If it's raining when I'm fishing I'll wash my tackle. Does that count?

[Sasha]

Well in all fairness if and when I fish saltwater I also clean my stuff at the end of the day.

[Papasequoia]

Jon: Hi everyone. My name is Jon and I'm a sloboholic.

Everyone in unison: Hi Jon!

Coordinator: Well Jon, would you like to share some of your story with us tonight?

Jon: Well, ok. Um, I'm not sure how to start, so I guess I'll just blurt it out. I've never cleaned any of my fishing gear. Ever. Not my rods, not my reels, not my flies, and certainly not my lines.

Pandemonium reigns. Some people faint, others drag their chairs as far as they can, some even leave. Two burly attendees stand, while one starts pounding his fist into his open palm the other one mutters in a menacing voice, "someone get a bucket and some soap..."

[tomsakai]

I feel much better; I'm in good company.