Cleaning Reel Fishing Rods
This time I am going to explain a little on how to look after our fishing rods when we get some spare free time. It is very important to find the time to do so as debris, salt & humidity could cause quite a lot of damage. The guides would also need checking out to see in what state they are.
We would need to start off by removing the reel / multiplier off the rod to enable us to clean the rod properly & comfortably. Importantly when extending the rod is to have warm water, some soap & a damp cloth ensure to clean any salts or debris that could be stuck to the rod. An important note is that when cleaning a telescopic Rod always clean it from the bottom upwards so that the debris & salts does not enter the sections. Do not hesitate to use water as it is not going to harm the rod.
Once that process is completed you then start wiping it dry ensure there is no water residues & check individually all the guides to see if they are still firm enough including the internal ceramic ring is not chipped to avoid either snapping the line or damaging the line. This will avoid any disappointments as it will surely damage the line when you hook a descent fish.
If we use the rod frequently it would be best to spray some lubricant onto a dry cloth & wipe the guides individually to give them some protection. On the other hand if you are going to store it for a while it would be best to wipe the guides with some Vaseline to give the guides better protection & when it is time for use just wipe it off. If the reel seat part on the rod is made out of plastic it is not that much of a problem as cleaning it with soap & water is enough, but if you have any sort of metal threads need to ensure you clean them thoroughly with an old toothbrush lubricant. The other type of reel seats are the ones with complete metal components, we would need to be more careful with them & how to clean them as this is a sensitive mechanism. The best way to clean these would be first with soap & warm water afterwards wipe the complete mechanism with lubricant.
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Tight Lines
Peter Paul Azzopardi
