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Cleaning… don’t wait until Spring

Articles on this site are out of date since some go back to 2006. Regulations and property ownership may have changed since publication. It is your responsibility to know and obey all regulations and not trespass on private property.

Here’s a reminder. For most of us, the season is over except for those rare warm days where we just 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 critical 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 lime 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 to stretch the memory out.

This is also a good time to disassemble your reels, give them a scrub and then reassemble with a light coat of oil. By doing this, you are ready to go for one of those warm days or for the start of the next season. 

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Unless stated otherwise, this article was authored by Steve Moore

Disclaimer and Warning:  The contents of this site reflect the opinion of the author and you, the reader, must exercise care in the use and interpretation of this information.  Fishing is a dangerous sport.  You can slip and fall on rocks and sustain severe injury.  You can drown.  You can get hooks caught in your skin, face, eyes or other sensitive places.  All sorts of bad things can happen to you when to go into the woods to visit the places documented here.  Forests, streams and lakes are wild areas and any number of bad things can happen.  You must make your own judgment in terms of acceptable behavior and risk and not rely on anything posted here.  I disclaim all liability and responsibility for any actions you take as a result of reading the articles on this site.  If you do not agree with this, you should not read anything posted on this site.

Disclaimer and Warning:  The contents of this site reflect the opinion of the author and you, the reader, must exercise care in the use and interpretation of this information.  Fishing is a dangerous sport.  You can slip and fall on rocks and sustain severe injury.  You can drown.  You can get hooks caught in your skin, face, eyes or other sensitive places.  All sorts of bad things can happen to you when to go into the woods to visit the places documented here.  Forests, streams and lakes are wild areas and any number of bad things can happen.  You must make your own judgment in terms of acceptable behavior and risk and not rely on anything posted here.  I disclaim all liability and responsibility for any actions you take as a result of reading the articles on this site.  If you do not agree with this, you should not read anything posted on this site.

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