Spring Cleaning


by Bobby Gray

The fishing season is upon us once again. I'm wondering how many of you will drag out your gear for the first time of the season only to find out your waders have a hole in them, your hooks are all rusty, you can't find your tippet, and you forgot to fix the broken tip on your fly rod before you put it away. Trust me, I've done it and I suspect many of you will have experienced the same. I thought an article, just as a reminder, might ease the anguish and prevent a spoiled trip for you. Here are some care and cleaning tips I'd like to share with you.

WADERS - If you hung your waders up and cleaned them at the end of the season, good job! If not, take them out of that smelly old storage bag and get to work. First, mix a bucket of warm water with a mild soap such as Dawn. NOTE! For breathable waders you should use a mild soap for gentle fabrics like Woolite®. Start first on the outside and scrub all the mud and gunk from them. It is well to note that this should be a practice done after every trip. This residue can carry diseases from one river to another. Next, rinse with clean water. 

Don't stop now, you are only half way done. Having been in them for many hours last season, you've sweated  and other things in them. Turn those smelly things inside out and repeat the process, first with warm soapy water followed by an thorough rinse. Make sure you let them air dry completely before you put them away.

WADING SHOES - I sure hope your wading shoes weren't in the same bag with your waders. You could keep your waders a lot cleaner if you don't pack them together. The procedure is the same, scrub with warm soapy water and rinse with a garden hose. Make sure you rinse the felt soles really well using the high pressure from the water hose to get all the sand and dirt out of the felt. Leaving sand and grit in your felt soles is the same as not vacuuming your carpet. The dirt and sand will grind the fibers each time you walk in them prematurely wearing them out. 

Also, check your shoestrings. Replace them if necessary or just replace them for good measure. You cannot afford a broken string on the river. A broken shoe string is like a broken fan belt; you are not going to get very far without either.

ROD CARE - Cleaning your rod is important, and not just once a year. Your fly rod will gather dirt and grime throughout the season. I use a mild soap and water solution for cleaning. Use a soft cloth making sure you wipe the entire rod including inside all the eyelets. Rinse with clean water. I then take a soft toothbrush and clean the threads on the reel seat. This will remove all the small dirt particles and will save the life of the threads.

When I finish cleaning I take a Q-tip and use some line dressing to coat the inside of all the guides. Be sure to check the guides for any nicks and abrasions. If you find some, replace the defective guide. When you are done, make sure your rod is completely dry. Never put a wet rod or a wet rod sock into the tube. It will mildew.

REELS - Like all the other equipment I have discussed, your reel also needs general maintenance. Refer to your manual on how to remove the spool. Most are very simple. After you take the spool out, set it aside. Take the reel and swish it around in soapy water. I like to take a Q-tip and carefully clean all the parts inside to remove all the old grease and dirt particles, making sure to rinse with clean water. To re-lube my reel, I like to use a product called Whale Spit. It is a light grease which holds up well in water. 

If you use products that are in spray cans or bottles, spray the end of a Q-tip and then apply it to the parts. I believe excess spray will only attract dirt and grime. There is also a chance that some of the excess could leach out onto your fly line. The oil will affect the performance of your fly line by attracting dirt making casting more difficult. In some instances, it may even attack the line itself.

FLY LINE - Fly line is the one item I think most anglers over expect and under respect. Working at the fly shop, I get asked a lot of questions on the art of casting. My most memorable one was a gentleman who had been fly fishing for six months. He said he practiced a lot and that he understood the mechanics of casting. After several outings on the stream and farm ponds, he noticed things were starting to change with his casting ability. He was not able to shoot the line like he use to. He also complained of not being able to feel his line load on his forward or back cast.

He wanted me to observe his casting to see if I could detect what it was he was doing wrong. I said, "Yes, but before I watch you, I would like to ask you one question, when was the last time you cleaned your fly line?" His response was, "Never". I told him to go home and clean his fly line and call me if it made a difference. You can guess what the answer was.

So here is how to clean your fly line. Take a small sponge or rag, get it wet, then put a small amount of liquid soap on it. Wrap it around the end of your fly line and begin to pull the line through the soapy sponge, laying it out on the floor or on a table. When you reach the end, stop, reverse the process. You will see the dirt and grime on the sponge. Then take a different sponge or rag with clean rinse water, repeat the process to remove all the soapy residue. Once this is complete, buy some fly line dressing and follow the directions. This will not only help preserve your line, it will lubricate it so that it will shoot through the guides. You will get further distance with fewer false casts.

In closing, I learned a lot of this the hard way. I hope after reading this, it will help you not make the same mistakes I have made.

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The Buckeye United Fly Fishers, Inc is a non-profit corporation organized under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code, incorporated in the State of Ohio
for the preservation, conservation and wise use of our fishing waters and game fish; and to assist in the protection and improvement of our natural resources