I was shocked--

[flightliner]

-- after I arrived home from my Trent trip the other day with all my gear soaking wet from the afternoon downpour.
I took all my float rods from their rodbags to avoid any milky blurring on the whippings and on a whim decided to give them a wash along with two reel cases that were also wet thro.
The shock was seeing just how filthy the water was, and when unplugging the sink it was like looking at the 4iver bed when the tide goes out!
Little wonder then how silky smooth rods go dull along with reels, and no--- I stopped short of ironing the rod bags.
I wont leave the job as long next time.

 

[sam vimes]

At the risk of stealing our resident OCD sufferer's thunder, keep some baby wipes in you car. It certainly keeps the very worst of the clag off and saves it from drying on completely.

 

[tigger]

At the risk of stealing our resident OCD sufferer's thunder, keep some baby wipes in you car. It certainly keeps the very worst of the clag off and saves it from drying on completely.

LOL, ok i'm OCD .
I just like clean stuff....so do you, your an undercover OCD'er!

 

[flightliner]

At the risk of stealing our resident OCD sufferer's thunder, keep some baby wipes in you car. It certainly keeps the very worst of the clag off and saves it from drying on completely.

Tbh Sam I very often give all my float rods a rub down with a damp cloth and when dry use one of those spongey silicone shoe cleaners to buff them up. A bonus is the (I think) enhanced less friction that helps with line output and water displacement on a rainy day.
If ever I have a day with "OCD" however I' ll keep your suggestion in mind ..:thumbs:

 

[sam vimes]

LOL, ok i'm OCD .
I just like clean stuff....so do you, your an undercover OCD'er!

I don't deny it, but I'm not in your league. I don't keep wet wipes in the car. At best the wipe down waits until I get home. Unfortunately, I have a nasty habit of not being arsed to do it when I get back. I've just done five different rods that I've used in the past week or two. Because I'd left it, some of the Duplon bits needed the warm water and toothbrush treatment. That should be enough to give you conniptions!

 

[chrissh]

Mick I’ll give you some Diamondbrite next time I see you at AS … it’s the stuff you put on cars to stop mud and grime sticking. Just wash in clean water.
It will stop the scum sticking to the rods when dipping the tip to sink the line

 

[tigger]

I don't deny it, but I'm not in your league. I don't keep wet wipes in the car. At best the wipe down waits until I get home. Unfortunately, I have a nasty habit of not being arsed to do it when I get back. I've just done five different rods that I've used in the past week or two. Because I'd left it, some of the Duplon bits needed the warm water and toothbrush treatment. That should be enough to give you conniptions!

That's exactly why I wipe 'em when I get back to the car. It takes me a couple of minuites and then when I get home I can tuck straight into me tea rather than mess about cleaning off tackle.
I wouldn't use a toothbrush on the duplon Chris, it's too harsh on it, just use a wet one and give it a rub, then use a towel to buff it up. A tooth brush will damage it. You've seen the duplon on my normark Avenger and thats after about 12yrs use!....so my method does work ok .

 

[Philip]

Wet wipes for cleaning rods, tooth brushing the handles, blank buff ups with silcon shoe cleaners ...I'd like to think you guys are kidding ...but, well, your not mg:

I hope for your sake this thread ends quickly and disapears into a dark corner of FM never to see the light of day again.

 

[tigger]

Wet wipes for cleaning rods, tooth brushing the handles, blank buff ups with silcon shoe cleaners ...I'd like to think you guys are kidding ...but, well, your not mg:

I hope for your sake this thread ends quickly and disapears into a dark corner of FM never to see the light of day again.

:boink: It wouldn't surprise me if you blow dry your hair ! :afro:

 

[flightliner]

It's an important pre-requisite Phillip, :washing::stupid::help:

 

[sam vimes]

I hope for your sake this thread ends quickly and disapears into a dark corner of FM never to see the light of day again.

If for one moment you believe I'm remotely embarrassed by my trying to keep rods and reels in as good as state as I possibly can, you are sadly mistaken. I'd probably be embarrassed to admit to not using gear in case it got mucky, but that's never been the case. Beyond that, I'm pleased as punch to have well used thirty year old rods that look newer than some folks year old rods.

 

[maggot_dangler]

I am not OCD by any stretch of the imagination .

But i do give my rods a good cleaning every other time i use them . and all the rest of the tackle gets cleaned sorted every time i return from a days fishing , Reels get stripped cleaned and greased at least twice a year and the one shim i had to make for the 507 MkII gets checked and replaced if need be .
PG ...

...

 

[Philip]

I admire the dedication you all put into it, I am even slightly jealous of it and trust me, if I ever was in the market for a top end second hand rod then I sure as heck know who I’d want to buy off !

However dont you ever ask yourself - was it really worth the effort ?

Look, a conservative estimate …45 seconds of wet wiping, 1 minute of toothbrushing the handles, another 45 seconds of shoe shining,, 30seconds of rod bagging and tubing + say 1 minute to unpack / repack cleaning utensils & sundry scrubbing and buffing..lets call it a round 5mins pamper time per rod.

Now ask yourself this :

- Did it catch you more fish ? …unlikely in all but extreme circumstances when that spec of mud really does cause a hook pull once every blue moon.

- Did it increase your enjoyment on the day ? …unlikely, why would it ? ..if anything it made it worse as you had to spend 5mins less fishing time cleaning your rod at the end.

So if it did not catch you more fish and it did not increase your enjoyment all that really leaves is rod value. Here I am willing to accept that it prob DID increase the sell on value of your rod in the end. So for example a 200 quid rod still in immaculate condition 30 years later you could prob now sell for say £150…while my more abused (but still functional) version of the same rod I would only be able to sell for say £100.

So the question you really have to ask is was it worth donning marigolds for 30 years of 5min cleans every time you went fishing for £50 quid ?

I’d have to say the anwser is a rather whopping : NOOOOOOOOOOOO......

 

[tigger]

The way you describe it is way off the mark. I look after my gear because I like the look of it as much as I do using it. Also, I usually only take one rod which is wiped off in as much time as it would take you to disassemble your rod and secure it with bands. I like using clean gear and hate having mucky hands when fishing.
I have some collectable pins and I look after them much the same way as a car fanatic would look after his vintage car....they're nice to look at and nice to use also .

 

[markcw]

I use wet wipes on my pole sections as well as on rods, using them on pole sections helps to remove any residue
from using sweetcorn or liquid flavours I may use on baits, thus making the pole easier to slide through hands
when shipping in and out, the wet wipes also helps to keep the pole joints free from sticking as well.
Seatboxes get the car dashboard cleaner used on them, and a spray from the hosepipe on the footplates.

 

[103841]

Way off the mark and more as far as Phillip’s comments are concerned.

I like my kit to be as clean as possible, no it doesn’t catch me more fish.

I like my shoes polished and shiny, no it doesn’t make me walk longer.

I like my car super clean, no it doesn’t make it any faster.

My home is kept clean (more swmbo efforts that mine), no it doesn’t add value.

What it does do is extend longevity, it reflects the respect for what I’ve worked hard for over a long part of my life, above all else a satisfying sense of pride.

 

[sam vimes]

Philip,
not for one moment do I believe that clean rods and reels catch me more fish. Marginally different when it comes to enjoyment. Whilst clean gear does not necessarily increase my enjoyment, using crud encrusted, snotty, horrible, gear definitely decreases my enjoyment. When it comes to reels, filth can both reduce the performance and longevity of them dramatically.

As I rarely sell anything, the marginally decreased devaluation doesn't particularly concern me, though I'd rather retain as much value as possible than not. The reality is that I mainly clean kit to keep it in as good a condition as possible for as long as possible. That's the means to an end and there's little more to it. Having to don marigolds would mean that I'd let things go way beyond my own personal pale. Is it worth a tiny bit of regular effort that costs me virtually nothing? It's a resounding yes, for me. I don't really care if others have a different mindset.

I look after the fishing gear I buy. It gets used a lot and, barring disasters, usually lasts indefinitely. I'm exactly the same with the tools I use for my work. Perversely, when it comes to something like a car, I could barely care less. When things start growing on it I might think about washing it. Like most people, I'm full of contradictions.

 

[sagalout]

I always have a bag of wet wipes in my tackle bag and I wipe pole and rods down when packing up. When I open the bag of wet wipes I pour some super market own brand all purpose cleaner in the bg, makes a wetter stronger cleaning wipe.

I don't do it for any reason other than I like my gear clean, I have clean clothes every day as well, not because it enhances the 2nd value of my Asda pants, socks and t shirts but because I like clean.

 

[mikench]

I do follow you lot to a large degree! I admit if the weather is/ will be foul and my rod or reel could get muddy I take a less precious one!:

It is thoroughly cleaned on return! I have yet to try my zymol destiny on the rods though but the seeds have been sown!

 

[peterjg]

It all sounds a bit poncy to me - what a bunch of wimps!

Surely this is all a wind-up? Who is really going to spit and polish their rods after every trip? I couldn't be bothered and I am sure the fish are not impressed either! I don't want my rods all bright and shiny reflecting light to the fish, I want them dull!

It's a bit like those sad so n soes that must have their car bright and shiny, they spend hours cleaning it and the next day it rains! My car gets washed once a year prior to the MOT!

Tackle is for catching fish not for looking pretty! Another prize example are the sad carp anglers that must have their carp rods on buzz bars that are 4 inches apart with one reel handle folded! I ask one chap why, he replied "it looks good don't it". It's their prerogative but it's pathetic!