Storing fly lines

[ausable_ny]

Hi all,

I did a search on the subject and came up empty. How do you folks store your fly lines off your reel? I've always been told not to store the line on the reel...to remove it if it won't be used for a while. I'm heading up to the Adirondacks early tomorrow a.m. for my last trip of the year. I'll be storing my equipment 'till ice-out in April. How do you store the fly line. I've heard things ranging from wrapping it around large coffee cans to using those large diameter spools the offshore trollers use to store their rigged lures. All ideas are appreciated. Thanks.

Ken

[Normand]

ive left fly lines stored on the reel with no adverse affect whatsoever. been doing it for 27 years.

[Bamboozle]

I think storing it on nice big coffee cans or extension cord holders is the best idea to minimize coils but I just leave mine on the reels like Normand and always have with no issues.

I fish 12 months a year but the 2-3 weights and even some of the 4 weights definitely don't get much use during the winter. Those reels and their lines sit for a few months and reappear in the spring just fine.

Your mileage may vary...

[MOturkE]

If you don't want the coils next Spring then put them on anything large and round. A good idea might be to nail or screw the coffee cans onto a 2X4 or piece of plywood and hang it on the wall, then loosely coil your lines on them. Store your reel inside the can and everything is in one place next Spring.

Hey, that sounds like a pretty neat trick... Glad I thought of that!

[Deezel]

While it's true that lines stored around a large cylinder will have less coils, you have to remove each line, wrap it around the cylinder and put it back on the reel in the spring. More effort than I want to use especially when the line can be easily stretched out come spring. I just leave the lines on the reels. Oh IMPORTANT: Just make sure that the lines are clean, dry and the reels are in some type of container before putting them away for the off-season.

Deezel

[Joel D. Popham]

I make sure mine are clean and dry and leave them on the reels. It doesn't take much to remove the "coils" in the spring...a couple of fish normally does the trick. I've done it for 26 years with no negative effect. Regards.

[Flyandtie1]

Clean and dress
Take off reel
Put on spool that comes in Box line was bought in.....
DONE!

[ducksterman]

Clean and dress
Take off reel
Put on spool that comes in Box line was bought in.....
DONE!

"Put on spool that comes in Box line was bought in....."...so is that diameter much better??????

[Flyandtie1]

yes it's a larger circumference,,,Not by much, But enough for me.

They store 'em like that for long periods of time until some fly fisher comes and buys them,,,Sounds good to me.

[ducksterman]

C'mon Chris, if you are going to go to that kind of trouble ...go for a diameter that matters....incidently ...think ...tension