Fly Line Care

[Twism86]

Well with people in the other thread talking about keeping your line clean and stuff i was wondering whats the best way to take care fo your line?
Ive heard its bad to use line cleaners and conditioners too often. When i bought my bottle the guy said use it halfway through your season and then once at the end. I fish year round so i guess thats every 6 months with a line cleaner.

What does everyone else do?

Tom

[ducksterman]

When i bought my bottle the guy said use it halfway through your season and then once at the end.

Tom

Tom, If I bought a bottle and the guy said that I'd figure there was something wrong with it.

sooner or later here ...you will hear "Zipcast".

[Heritage Angler]

sooner or later here ...you will hear "Zipcast".

Better sooner than later.

[wayneb]

Tom;

Once you've tried Zipcast, you want need anything else. It's that good.

Wayneb

[ohiotuber]

ZipCast is the only way to go (IMHO), although you should use it after every day or 2 of fishing. You won't need much & it's very easy to apply....it both cleans & treats the line. It really IS great stuff.
Mike

[MontanaMoose]

Twism, you'll hear yelling and screaming about this but I use Armor-All cleaner-protectant and have saved a few otherwise 'shot' fly lines doing so. Don't try it on a good line though...find an old dried out fly line that won't shoot and feels rough as a cob and use it on that line. just wipe it on and reel it back up just before you head out to go flyfishing and you may be pleasantly surprised at the difference.

Remember...no one should do this to a good flyline...

Cheers,

MontanaMoose

[hutjensmpg]

I've tried all sorts of things with Cortland, SA, RIO, and Sage lines. In the end I've found that just using a clean, soft wet rag every 4-5 times out to clean the line keeps those lines in great shape and performing well.

I never noticed that any of the myriad treatments improved the performance of my lines much more (if at all) than just cleaning them. And when I think it through, it makes sense. The line was sold clean and without any of those treatments and was great. Why add extra gunk to it, just clean the dirt off.

One caveat, though, I've never tried Zipcast...

[MikelC]

Zipcast IS the best !! Great on old or new lines. Also, made and sold by one of our sponsors ( i.e. Brumfield Ent. ).

[Heritage Angler]

The best thing about Zipcast is that it's easy and quick to use - which if you're like me means you'll actually use it. My favorite way to use it is to pick up a bag of gun cleaning patches, strip the line off the reel while it is still attached to the rod, then pinch a patch with a couple of drops of Zipcast on it around the line. I do this with the same hand that is holding the rod, then reel the line back in while guiding the line evenly back on the reel (sounds harder than it actually is ). If the line is a really dirty one, I run the line through the patch as I strip it off, flip the patch, and reel it back on. I do this at the end of each days' fishing.

Using this method, your bottle of Zipcast will last a VERY long time, and you'll have a clean and slick line every time you fish. Fly lines are just too expensive to NOT take care of them, and this is by far the best way I've come across to get the most life out of them.

Dotman (Jerry Brumfield) is an FAOL sponsor, and also a friend of mine - he's the most honest person you'll likely meet and you can deal with him with complete confidence. He's a great fishing partner too!

Here's where to get Zipcast: http://flyreeldots.com/

[Normand]

ive tried zipcast and it didnt even last during a full day of fishing. i'd look for something else. just my opinion