cleaning fly line
I have had my fly line on my reel science ive started fishing (about a year and a half) i have never done anything more than wipe it down a few times with a damp cloth. ive noticed that some ppl condition them? any help would be great. i have cabelas prestige wf floating line foe both of my rods 4wt and 6wt.
I carry some small felt pads sold my Cortland for cleaning lines when Im "out and about" but there are many cleaning kits...etc...available for "at home" use. If you cant find something you can always use "303 Protectorant" that you can buy thats top notch for everything and anything. Car tires; fishing lines; windshield wipers...you name it.Originally Posted by garb72
Second that 303. Even tubes and toons, PLUS the boots on my hippers.
But do need buff it off, or it will attract dirt.
Has anyone tried Zipcast? I ordered a bottle, but haven't tried it, yet.
Kevin
Be careful how you live. You may be the only Bible some person ever reads.
Zip Cast works great! I was using the Cortland pads, but Zip Cast takes off a lot of dirt that those pads were missing.
Garb, to your original question, cleaning a floating line helps it to float better. I usually clean the line before each outing, but I'll also clean it during a fishing day if the line stops floating well.
Glide
I've been using Glide fly line dressing for more years than I care to remember and heartily recommend it. Cleans really dirty lines and leaves them like new!
The little fly line cleaner patches that come with your new Cortland lines are also a good option. Either takes up almost no room in your vest.
bobbyg
When you can arrange your affairs to go fishing, forget all the signs, homilies, advice and folklore. JUST GO.
Cleaning vs. Conditioning.
Hey Garb,
Cleaning a fly line - first you'll need a disc sander loaded with some 40 grit and a quart of terpentine, some steel wool and a pair of safety glasses. O.K. let's get started. Put on the safety glasses. Now with a couple of inches of the fly line securely clenched in a vise, grasp the disc sander with both hands.......Joking of course.
Moving on.
If you note discoloration on the line due to a build of dirt, bio-gunk or if it simply seems gritty or tends to sink to early in the game, then your line may need cleaning before dressing. Think of cleaning a line like you would washing a car and conditioning a line like you would waxing a car. I wouldn't wax a dirty car, so first I need to determine whether it needs cleaning and conditioning, or just a little conditioning.
Cleaning a dirty fly line: I usually run a large sink full of tepid fresh water and add to that a tablespoon of dish soap. I strip the line into the bath, letting it soak for about fifteen minutes. While it's still in the bath and without agitating it - ( we don't want to tangle the line if we can avoid it. ) I'll take a folded paper towel saturated in the soapy water solution and gently wipe any noticeable build ups of gunk or discoloration.
Once I'm happy with the result of that sequence, I'll drain the sink and refill it with freshwater, gently rinsing the line.
I then extract the line from the sink, buff it gently with dry paper towels and once it's dry, I then dress it. Everybody's got their favorite dressing, mine is Glide. Dab a very little onto a paper towel, strip the line through it and let is stand for another fifteen minutes. After that, another light buffing with a clean paper towel and I'll normally not fish the line again until the next day.
One thing to keep in mind, many of today's techy lines really don't need dressing, they actually have a dressing incorporated into the surface. However lines can get dirty and gently cleaning a gunked up fly line can breath new life into them again.
Best, Dave
Last edited by Dave E; 12-05-2009 at 11:42 PM. Reason: typo's, always typo's
Hey Grab72, where in CA do you live? I live in SoCal (Canoga Park). I might not know much but if you ever want some help just throw me a line
Last edited by Martin McFly; 12-06-2009 at 03:50 AM.
I believe I can fly fish
Thanks every one for the help... gotta love the ppl here... so much help to be had thanks again, best site by far!
im in the central valley 40 min south of fresno and 20 min north of lemoore in a small town of laton... thanks for the offer... im very new to this but its in my blood already i even bring a rod and small fly box while deer hunting
Great tips on cleaning a fly line here! But lets not forget the guides, they get dirty too!
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