Every
spring I eventually get around to checking and cleaning the rods
and reels that have sat abandoned in the garage for the past four
months. Because we run a fishing guide business this simple task
can become a chore, as the number of rods/reels that need cleaning
is usually quite large. Over the years I've developed a system that
makes the task a little easier and much quicker.
If you live in an area that experiences the full force of winter
like Minnesota, your equipment may have been stored in an area that is unheated.
If so, it's wise to bring all the rods and reels into a heated location
and let them defrost for a couple of days. Working on cold rods and reels can
result in damaged.
I'm fishing Ardent reels and like most top-of-the-line reels,
they are built to such exacting tolerances that you do not have to disassemble
the whole reel each season to clean and lubricate it.
The first thing I do is remove
all the reels from the rods. Then I strip all the line off the reels
down to the backing or spool body. I like to check each reel for
any damage that may have occurred over the past season. You're
always going to have the inevitable wear marks on the reel housings
from normal wear and tear; don't let that bother you. It will
not affect the reel's performance. I'm looking for damaged
handles, broken/bent bails, bad bail springs, missing screws, damaged
spools and such. Those are things that normally happen over the
season from being used hard, bouncing around in a rod locker or
getting stepped on. If I find something that I cannot fix I will
send the reel into the manufacturer's warranty
center. By sending it in now before the season starts you're
pretty much assured of getting it back before spring fishing starts.
When cleaning the spinning reels
I remove the spools and use a little warm water and dish soap to
remove the dirt and grime. Dish soap helps break down the greasy
film you may have on the reels, which generally comes from over
lubricating them. If you are confronted by some really stubborn
grime a soft rag sprayed with Gun Scrub or Reel Kleen will usually
remove it. The lip of a spinning reel spool takes a lot of abuse
over the season so check it for damage. Now is the time to find
out if it has nicks and burrs, which will destroy your line.
Just like the spinning reels,
I clean the full body of all my bait-casting reels. I also pull
the spools and clean those with dish soap. Some areas that warrant
close inspections are the worm shaft, line guide carrier and the
area of the line guide pawl.
Lubricating
a reel, be it a spinning, spin-cast or bait-caster is where some
of us get a little over zealous. If "a
little is good then a lot must be better" is not a good mantra
when it comes to lubricating reels. I've been using the Reel
Butter line of lubricants made by Ardent for a couple of seasons.
Before I even signed on with them a couple of guys I fish tournaments
against were talking it up, so I gave it a try. All three components,
Reel Grease, Reel Oil and Reel Lube are 100% synthetic and a little
goes a long way. What I'm trying to say is use a good
product and don't get carried away. Too much lubricant is
almost as bad as to little. For those of you who travel to fish
or like to have everything in one place, Ardent has put together
a compact travel kit that contains all the things you need for a
quick in-the-field reel cleaning.
Before I start cleaning any rods
I go over them looking for damage. I look for loose guides, damaged
guides, frayed wrappings, damaged reel seats, wear marks or chips
on the blank or damage to the cork handles. I will deal with some
of the problems myself, for the most part that means fixing frayed
wrappings or damaged cork handles. For more serious damage I send the rods
back for warranty work or take them to a rod shop for repair.
Frayed wrappings
or damaged cork handles are rather easy fixes. With a little rod
building epoxy (that you can purchase at any rod building shop or
from most major fishing catalogs) you can easily take care of a
frayed wrapping. I apply the epoxy to the wrapping with a small
brush and set the rod on a shoebox that has a notch cut in both
ends. This allows you to rotate the rod as the epoxy dries and any
epoxy that does drip falls into the box and not on furniture or
rugs.
The fix for a damaged cork handle
is just as simple. I just shave cork off an old handle (which I
keep for just this purpose) and mix it with Gorilla wood glue, then
fill the hole. I've used this trick for a number
of years and it works great.
The combination I've
settled on for cleaning both the blank and cork handle is Mr. Clean
and a Scotch-Brite Dobie cleaning pad. This
combination excels at removing all that mystery gunk that accumulates
on a rod during a year's use. The Dobie pad is strong
enough to clean the handle, but doesn't scratch the blank.
On the reel seat and guides I use an old toothbrush to get into
the tight spots. Then a little auto or boat polish on the blank
and you're good to go.
Wayne Ek is a fishing guide, tournament angler and writer in Alexandria
Minnesota.
You can reach Wayne Ek at Agape Fishing Guides, www.agapefishingguides.com
