If you own a bamboo fly rod, you’ve probably spent a good amount of time reading various approaches to maintenance. The nature of the grass blanks and metal ferrules leads to some necessary, extra attention.
If you own graphite or fiberglass fly rods, hopefully you’ve also put some effort into keeping your fishing gear clean. For decades, these mass-manufactured rods have been incredibly well built and durable. You might think that your $200 4-weight doesn’t need to be fussed over. But if your favorite rod is $900? Or if you absolutely love that $200 rod? A few minutes after a long trip or following the season can prolong its life and aesthetics.
Here are three areas you should focus on as you take care of your graphite or fiberglass fly rod. Nothing is difficult, time consuming, or that profound. But if you’re honest with yourself, simplicity or brevity doesn’t mean you always do those things. Right?
Take a look:
Wash it.
Use warm water with a little mild soap. Choose a cloth that wont hang up on guides, but has a little texture so you can scrub. A surprising amount of gunk builds up under where the reel foot sits and right above where male ferrules sit inside their mates. Of course, a rod used in saltwater will also be much dirtier than it appears – especially if it isn’t routinely rinsed adequately.
Cork handles can be cleaned with a little elbow grease. Some like to keep theirs looking used. A quick wipe with that same warm, soapy water will take the worst off the top while plenty evidence of “wear” remains.
If the rag isn’t getting things clean, an old toothbrush will almost always do the trick. Regardless, rinse and dry every part of your rod well before it goes into storage.
Deep cleaning helps.
Places that don’t see the sun get dirty, too. And if these spots are dirty enough they can cause problems.
Slide or screw your reel seat hardware past where you usually would. Grit and grime can take up residence and lead to sticking or seizing. A cotton swab can reach into the spots where the reel foot slides.
Similarly, use a wet and soapy cotton swab to clean out female ends of ferrules. Not only will a dirty connection lead to sticking, but any abrasive agents will lead to a scratched and potentially loose fit. When you’re done cleaning both male and female ends: rinse them, dry them, and don’t apply anything to them. They’re designed to work as-is.
Inspect guides and guide feet.
Small snake guides can crack. You might not notice until your line gets stuck and/or gashed. Tip tops easily get nicked, leading to an abrasive surface which can damage line and leaders. On a well cared for fly rod, the epoxy covering the guides’ feet may very well be the first part of the rod to fail. Temperature extremes, accidental torqueing while assembling/disassembling, and general use lead to cracking.
A quick inspection of each guide and how it attaches to the rod blank will diagnose if it needs to be repaired.
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