In fly fishing, anglers wade out to the middle of a stream to cast their lines. This process involves partially submerging in water. Sometimes, anglers may get their rods and reels a little wet during a fishing trip as a result. But is salt water bad for your fly fishing reels?
You need to know how to take care of your equipment and preserve it as best as you can, or else you risk speedy degradation and frequent replacement.
Does a Little Water Damage the Reel?
A fly rod can stand up to some salt water, but submerging it will lead to nothing good. Salt water has very corrosive qualities. It eats away at metal components and degrades fibers at a relatively rapid pace. Aluminum is a material that’s in many rods. While salt water doesn’t cause it to rust, the aluminum will pit, reducing its integrity and effectiveness.
You need to avoid setting your rods down directly into salt water, as the salt will destroy the expensive equipment you invested so much into.
Clean Your Rods After a Trip in Salt Water
Even after a trip where your rod never touched salt water, there may still be some residue left over. Whether it’s from splashing water or mist, there will always be moisture that makes contact with your rod, corroding it after extended use. Because of this gradual degradation, it’s essential to clean your fly rod after every trip, making sure to scour the salt grime off.
How to Clean Your Fly Rod
Always use fresh water and soap to clean off your fly rod, and make sure the water isn’t brackish, as that can further damage your equipment. Aside from the rod itself, make sure to clean out your rod sock. There may still be salt particles left inside after a trip, and they can corrode your equipment as well.
Preserve Your Equipment
When you spend money on equipment like Lamson fly fishing reels, you’ll want to maintain its condition for as long as possible. Neglecting proper care and cleaning techniques will degrade your gear, and you don’t want to keep investing in the same reels every year. You should protect what you have and ensure it’s free of any salt. When someone asks if salt water is bad for your fly fishing reel, tell them yes.
