Here’s a reminder. For most of us, the season is over except for those rare warm days when we can’t resist getting out on the water. So, this is the perfect time to start cleaning your gear for next season.
It’s always obnoxious to do it, but cleaning fly line is not just a chore, it’s a critical step for a fast start in the next season. First, take a damp sponge with mild soap and run the line through it a few times. After it dries, apply the line dressing – give it a little bit of time to dry and then either re-spool it on to your reel or, even better, wrap it in elbow sized bites and hang it on a coat hanger to keep it loose. For sharkskin line, do not apply line dressing. Cleaning is all that is required.
If you leave it on your reel over the winter, one of the first things you should do in the spring is unwind all the line and put gentle tension on it by gripping both ends. This simple step is crucial to stretch the line’s memory out, ensuring a smooth and efficient performance in the next season.
This is also a good time to disassemble your reels, scrub them, and then reassemble them with a light coat of oil. This will prepare them for one of those warm days or the start of the next season.
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Unless stated otherwise, this article was authored by Steve Moore