Helpful Hints
Keep Your Reel Free of Grit
By Elaine Cook
Helpful Hints
Keep Your Reel Free of Grit
By Elaine Cook
We often prop our rods up against trees, logs or rocks. But what's the reel resting on? If it's forest floor duff, there's not much problem. But if it's on typical streamside sand or gritty dirt, sooner or later, some is bound to get into your reel. If you feel the least amount of grinding or roughness when you strip a little line out, STOP! That's the sound of the grit grinding off parts of the inside of the palming rim, the spindle, maybe the drag, or the drag-engaging mechanism. It could make your reel much less corrosion resistant, or make the drag very rough (or make the reel have drag when you don't want it). For sure, it won't do it any good.
So, what do you do? Grab the rod in the middle (be sure to pinch the line against the rod so if the bottom section comes loose, you won't have to chase it downstream), and plunge the reel a few times into clear water. If that doesn't work (you can still feel the grit in the works), you must take the spool out (no need to reel line in) and rinse both the spool and the reel frame in clear water. Before putting the reel back together, check visually and with your fingertips to make sure there's no grit imbedded in grease inside the spool or reel frame. If you need magnifiers to tie your fly on, you should use them to check your reel, too. And if there was grit stuck in grease, maybe you should pay more attention to the advice to lubricate your reel lightly. There shouldn't be enough grease in there to trap much grit.