Is there anything I can use to clean my rod with? What about the cork? I don’t know much about fly rods and I don’t want to use something that will hurt it or do something to the epoxy or anything. Any household items that I can use?
Thank You,
Nick
I use warm water and gentle detergent with wet paper towels to clean my rods. Then wipe them dry with a soft cloth. For the cork, I use Softscrub like J Castwell already recommended.
Jim Smith
JC, is using his sarcastic humor, Soft scrub is just as bad as using Scouring Cleanser.
Just use a sudsy wash rag, to clean the cork and the rod guides and the rod blank.
Then rinse the cork, rod guides and rod blank with a clean wash rag, that is soaked with clean water.
Then dry the cork, rod guides and rod blank by lightly wiping with a clean dry rag.
The cork will look brand new, and the rod guides will be cleaned, and the rod blank will shine.
~Parnelli
Soft Scrub comes both with and without pumice…the Soft Scrub without is not abrasive…I know it comes with bleach …don’t know if it comes without bleach…know it comes as a gel …don’t know if it comes as a liquid.
Seems to me without pumice for the rod and with pumice for the cork??? I’ve not used it in any form on rods and grips.
[This message has been edited by ducksterman (edited 24 March 2006).]
For cleaning the rod I use Ivory liquid soap. At the end of the season I give my rods a paste wax application. They tend to stay cleaner when they are waxed. You can use Butcher Wax. Lately I’ve been using this stuff called Orange Wax because it smells great.
I use soft scrub and bleach, cork looks like brand new after it dries.
You could do that?!
…lee s.
Firs4life-You may be way ahead of me, but if your rod needs attention, cleaning, etc. you have other parts of your arsenal that need attention also. Reel, Line and Waders. Like they say on the ocean…a clean ship is a tidy ship. Not to mention how long your gear will last. I see you are in PS, if salt water is in your regime, then more care will need to be addressed. I clean my fly lines often, some Cortland and S.A. are over 30 years old and still going strong. Tight lines, Jonezee
It’s dark here Fish4life and I have sight problem, excuse the PA spell.
I use mild soap and water for the rod. For the cork handle I get it damp and then use my hand to smear it with baking soda, making a paste as I go. I rub the paste into the cork and rinse. Repeat. Looks and feels like new.
Or…just leave the fish scum on the handle!
Jonezee, I’m just cleaning it for something to do and my cork grip looks alot better now. It was a little dirty not much but you can see a difference. I am going to clean my line closer to opening day so t doesn’t collect dust or anything.
JC, I used your method and it worked very good.
And whoever said car wax on the rod, it worked good but can’t really see a difference because it wasn’t really dirty.
Thank guys,
Nick
Dawn dish soap, …cuts grease
she who dies with the most toy’s wins.
What she, (Fly Goddess), said:
Dawn except I mix mine with a little Bon Ami on a sponge for the grip and just plain Dawn for the rod.
The blanks get polished with car polish once a year IF they have scratches and waxed once a year regardless.
BTW, besides Dawn’s grease cutting ability it also does a great job with Poison Ivy plant oil. I also use it to clean my wading shoes after each trip so I don’t get the mysterious cases of PI a week after my last foray into “Ivy Territory”.
Personally I like the used handle look.
Regards
nam
Try Windex works very well. Spray it on let it set for a min.wipe off with damp rag.