Maintenance is an important issue. Below you will find some essential information how to take care of your rods and reels. Follow these simple steps and get the most out of your precious gear
How to take care of your precious Spey rods.
- Keep your reel seat clean from dirt and grit.
- Clean and dry your rod after each fishing trip. Also take good care of the guides, dirty guides will have a negative influence on casting performance.
- Always rinse all metal parts on the rod in fresh water after use in salt or brackish water.
- Store in a dry environment.
- Regularly treat the ferrules with candle wax. This makes it easier to separate the parts and helps to protect the carbon from wearing out prematurely.
- If your line is caught, don’t force it loose by using the rod. Always pull on the line with your hands.
- Don’t bend your rod at extreme angles over a short distance. The rod is designed to bend throughout its complete length. This rule is crucial to keep in mind
- Never hold the rod by the tip and thread the line through the guides with the rod in a straight position.
- Never use tools to take apart fastened joints. Big changes in temperature make the carbon expand and get stuck. Disassemble the rod after each fishing trip to avoid this happening. If joints are stuck, hold the two parts behind your knees and pull in both directions. If you want to loosen the joint by twisting. Make sure to grab as close as possible to the joints. Do not twist a large area of the rod. Ice cubes can help if joints are stuck.
How to take care of your precious Fly Reels: A modern fly reel is a remarkable piece of engineering. The tolerances are aircraft level and so are the materials. As such we have to take proper care to avoid damage. Most important? Keep the care instructions that come with your reel. Reels have different drag systems and some require different types of care. Know which one yours is. Take the spool off of the body and make sure you clean our any sand, grit, or dirt after every trip. In the spring, a drop of high quality oil (sewing machine as an example) on the moving parts and center shaft. It is also wise to check and screws that hold the reel together and ensure they are tight. A reel has a lot of movement during casting and they can work loose over time.
- Don’t knock the reel against rocks, boat decks, hard floors etc. Small scratches and dents expose bare metal which will corrode.
- On a boat always place the rod butt (and reel) on a damp cloth, so it will not slide and scratch.
- Never drop the reel in sand! Sand grains are very hard and can scratch the inner housing, damage drag disks and even ball bearings.
- Very Important – Always loosen the drag completely when the reel is not in use.
- Click & Pawl reels like Hardy´s are nowhere near the fanciest or most intricately made reels out there. What they lack in engineering though, they more than make up for in both personality and functionality.
- Flush away dirt by placing the spool and frame under a stream of fresh water (Not to steaming hot water)
- Dry carefully with a lint free cloth
- Lubricate with a good quality oil
- Always ensure the spindle is adequately greased
- Always turn the click-check to minimum setting to avoid compression of the springs
- Always ensure the reel and line are dry before storing in the case or pouch
- This way you have a lifelong friend that won’t let you down.