Jan 27 2008
Cleaning your Fly Reel
Cleaning your Fly Reel:
Keeping your fly reel clean is Essential. The fly reel can get very dirty very quickly, and a dirty reel will cause problems. There are many ways that your reel can get dirty, and since the reel is a important part of your fly fishing arsenal, you MUST keep it clean.
Setting your reel down on the ground, dirty water, dust in the air, these are only a few ways that your reel can be affected by dirt. If your reel is dirty, it will not function properly, and the last thing you want when you are fighting a large fish is for your reel to seize up.
Cleaning your reel is simple and quick. To do this correctly, do the following.
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Remove the spool from the reel
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Take a can of compressed air (Like the ones for your keyboard)
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Blow out the reel, paying special attention to the gears
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Take a small bowl and fill with warm water and mid dish soap (1-2 drops)
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Take a Q tip and dip it into the water
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Carefully clean the inside of the reel
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Make sure to clean around the gears, disk or click/pawl areas
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Clean the inside of the spool where it engages the reel
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Take care to not allow any of the lint from the Q tip get caught in any of the parts
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Allow the reel and spool to dry (Dry with compressed air if needed)
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Lubricate reel as per manufacturers specifications
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Re install spool onto reel
You have now cleaned and lubricated your reel. This is a simple and VERY important task that I suggest you do at least once a year. I clean and lubricate my reels two to three times every year.
