# How do you clean and store your rods and reels



## 8loco (Feb 12, 2012)

Mine are rinsed with freshwater after every trip and stored inside. About every 5th trip out (every other week) they are disassembled, soak with freshwater, coated and wiped with penn spray, and line stripped, soaked and cleaned. Anyone else as thorough as me? Think its overkill?


----------



## Dillusion (May 21, 2012)

No, you're doing fine.

It's not so much where you keep them as 'how' you keep them and how you treat your gear. Some people beat the living hell out of their stuff, scratch it all up, let the epoxy on the guides turn brown and rusted, and they wonder why they cant sell their $800 rod for $200 in a year when it's upgrade time.

Taking notice of how your gear is treated is a big part of the maintenance itself.


----------



## 8loco (Feb 12, 2012)

My process is religion for me and my gear looks great. Just seeing if anybody does anything different.


----------



## Shadowcast (Feb 26, 2008)

Right there with you. I'm very OCD with fly gear.


----------



## BayStYat (Sep 12, 2012)

I treat them like family


----------



## lemaymiami (Feb 9, 2007)

I keep seven or eight rods ready to go from a 7 all the way up to a couple of 12wts. If I'm working day after day the rods being used stay on the skiff (my whole rig loads into my garage...). The moment I'm down, then each rod gets the same treatment. The drag is backed off to zero, the line is stripped off right down to the backing then the entire rig and line is thoroughly rinsed off with freshwater (paying special attention to guides and reelseats). While everything is still wet the line is wound back onto each reel -then the rig is stored in the vertical position with drag off until needed again. About every third time a rig is washed I also clean fly line (using Scientific Anglers cleaning pad while line is still wet -then dressed down with their line treatment and polished off with a clean cloth to remove every bit of excess "goo"). One side benefit of carefully cleaning and dressing a line is that you'll quickly find any nicks, abrasions, or possible weak spots in your fly line... Where we fish the conditions are very hard on fly lines....

I've been following this routine for a lot of years and it works pretty well. Maybe once or twice a year I'll add a tiny drop of oil (high quality gun oil -Gunslik or BreakFree) to moving parts on my reels -but they never ever see any soapy water.... just the freshwater rinse off which allows protective lubricants to stay in place where they're needed.

Hope this helps.


----------



## mikeregas (Mar 15, 2013)

> I treat them like family


How did you make the dowel rod holders for your wall? Are they just drilled out then plugged?


----------



## BayStYat (Sep 12, 2012)

Yes drilled half way then drilled thru with a smaller bit. Filled then stained


----------



## kamakuras (Feb 23, 2012)

Is soaking the line necessary or is just a good wipe down with line cleaner every so often with a stretch good enough?

Other than that I was my gear thoroughly with fresh water every trip and store in doors. Give the rods a good wipe down and clean the cork every so often as well.


----------



## Bill_Nosan (Dec 14, 2008)

I treat mine pretty poorly. Rinse them off. Leave them in the boat. That's why I like NRX rods. Titanium guides, they don't rust. I use a sealed drag van staal reel. No problems. Anyway, that's just me.


----------



## CurtisWright (May 9, 2012)

> I treat mine pretty poorly. Rinse them off. Leave them in the boat. That's why I like NRX rods. Titanium guides, they don't rust. I use a sealed drag van staal reel. No problems. Anyway, that's just me.


I like your style. 
Good shit aint cheap and cheap shit aint good.


----------



## jlb05f15 (Apr 4, 2012)

> I treat mine pretty poorly. Rinse them off. Leave them in the boat. That's why I like NRX rods. Titanium guides, they don't rust. I use a sealed drag van staal reel. No problems. Anyway, that's just me.


I have to admit, I do the same thing.


----------



## JBMitziSkiff (Nov 2, 2012)

> I treat mine pretty poorly. Rinse them off. Leave them in the boat. That's why I like NRX rods. Titanium guides, they don't rust. I use a sealed drag van staal reel. No problems. Anyway, that's just me.


^^^What he said! Although I spray them all down with Reel Magic after the wash and twice a year maybe I break them down to oil them. 8 year old Abu Record Reels and Abu C4000 along with Shimano Sedona 4000 I keep about 4 of those ready too and never had any issues.


----------



## reelaggressive (Feb 7, 2013)

If I have a charter coming up in the next day or two I rinse them off and leave them in the boat.
Perks of having Hatch reels and Clutch fly rods.


----------



## Dillusion (May 21, 2012)

> If I have a charter coming up in the next day or two I rinse them off and leave them in the boat.
> Perks of having Hatch reels and Clutch fly rods.


Also a perk of getting them @ a discount  ;D


----------



## reelaggressive (Feb 7, 2013)

> > If I have a charter coming up in the next day or two I rinse them off and leave them in the boat.
> > Perks of having Hatch reels and Clutch fly rods.
> 
> 
> Also a perk of getting them @ a discount   ;D


Pro Staff is a wonderful thing


----------



## permitchaser (Aug 26, 2013)

I have washed my fly rods and other rod with fresh water and it seems to work. This year I read about how vinegar cancels out salt water. I flushed my outboard with it and found lots of grit that came out. So this year I am going to take a hose end sprayer with me and load it with vinegar and Dawn and spray the boat and the rods and rinse with water


----------



## 8loco (Feb 12, 2012)

You flushed your boat with vinegar?


----------



## flyfshrmn82 (Oct 12, 2007)

I've never heard about the vinegar trick. I'll have to try that on my engine. How much, for how long, and what kind? 

I have had good luck with the Penn Corrosion and Lube spray. It leaves a nice film that seems to last for a while.


----------



## BKG4211 (Oct 19, 2013)

I think hot water is the key. Think about it, what is the best way to dissolve salt? I take my reels off the rods after every trip. I throw the reels in the dishwasher and do 3-4 hot water rinses. DO NOT USE CHEMICALS OR DETERGENT. Use rinse not wash. My reels all look like new. I send my Shimano spinners in yearly for maintenance. Every time the tech has called asking why I am having new reels serviced.

For rods, I put them in the shower and thoroughly rinse them with hot water.


Shake off water on reels and rods right after you are finished rinsing them.


----------



## Alex4188 (Mar 18, 2014)

wash with fresh water after every trip. night before a trip i will pull the fly line off the reel to the backing and tie the leader to my kids basketball hoop and stretch it until morning. while its stretching I will go the length of the line with the flyline cleaner pad. In the morning I will real it up and spray the line while on the reel with a fly line dressing (spray silicone) which makes it as slick as a new line but doesnt slip in your hands, and every few trips I'll spray down the reel with WD40 and put a few drops of Hoppe's #9 on the moving parts. Every few trips I will wax the rod with liquid car polish.


----------



## tarponfly49 (Dec 29, 2013)

My post fishing routine is 
1. Cold beer
2. Everything submersed in the bath tub of warm water (my reels are sealed) Rods as well
3. line stripped off and whipped off
4. Everything microfiber toweled off and dried
5. Store back on the tying desk/gear area

I baby my stuff, fish it hard...but treat it well.  When I sold my RPLXis and tibor combos I literally got every cent out of them (I bought on the guide program) but every one would easily pass for brand new.  I treat my guns the same way.....sure as hell won't see any kydex scratches on my Sigs!  lol


----------



## FlyBy (Jul 12, 2013)

Wash them with fresh water after each trip. Clean lines with Scientific Anglers line cleaner. I use a line winder and apply the cleaner/dressing, then wind back on the reel through a cloth to remove excess. Lube reels 3-4 times a year, wax rods 3-4 times a year. Bay boat carries 6 rods, LT25 carries 4. Suburban holds 9 and that's where they live.


----------



## tarponfly49 (Dec 29, 2013)

I only wash my gear with Fiji or Evian water.....lmao


----------

