Ohiotuber's post means yet another sharp rise in my fly fishing learning curve.

The only time I ever cleaned ONE of my fly lines was when I fished in a farm pond whose surface was coated with a super-thick layer of nasty scum. I used ordinary dishwasher detergent to do the job. Which I've since read is not good for your line, as detergent breaks down important polymer layers (or something like that).

If they were put under a microscope, I suspect all my fly lines (and rod guides, too) are grubby as can be. And this may explain why my casting ease (and distance) seems to have suffered in recent months. Even if dirty line isn't responsible, it's a technical-sounding excuse that makes me feel better.

Jeez, what can I say? I'm from Kansas and grew up a spin fisherman and baitcast reel fisherman. We don't clean our line here, we leave it dirty and hope the next place we go fishing has clearer water so the line cleans itself while we're retrieving.

Time for an agonizing reappraisal. Zip-cast, huh? Okay...


Joe
"Better small than not at all."