Cleaning Fly Lines

[Pearly Invicta]

I haven't cleaned my fly lines for a couple of years but know what a difference it can make to your casting. I don't really want to spend 4 quid on some proprietary concoction that contains nothing more than a squirt of fairy liquid and a gobful of grochel if I can clean them with stuff I have in my house.

But what is safe to use and what will turn my expensive floater into a mediocre intermediate?

I understand Allan Liddle cleans his with 18 year old Macallan but what does everyone else do? :-)

[harelug]

I'd like to emphasise the mild soapy water, I use lux soap flakes, you don't want to put fairy liquid or any other detergent near a fly line.

One question though, why no Armour All with anything other than floaters, its a plasticiser so all lines should benefit, only thing I can think of is it might make an intermediate slightly less suseptible to sinking. My SA intermediate usually needs about 15 mins fishing before it starts to cut through surface anyway.

[harelug]

Ok, possibly so on an intermediate but surely the density of any faster sinking line must overcome the water repellent effects of Armour All and even with intermediates, the plasticezers in Armour All must benefit the line and only cause a short term loss of sinking ability.

[Fishtales]

Once the plasticizers leach from a line they can't be replaced they are can only be added chemically when the line is made. Armor all only polishes the line and makes it shoot better through the rings, it also adds a layer of water repelency which makes floating lines float higher. On sinking lines, depending on the density, it either makes them float or slows down the sink rate.

[haresear]

Let me say first of all that I have hardly ever cleaned a line. I know i should, but I don't :oops: .

But I can't see how any polishes etc. would affect the sink-rate of a line once it has cut through the surface film

But as I say, I don't wash.

[Wildfisher]

Alex,

It think that these compounds prevent the line breaking the surface tension. A small metal hook will also float in the film if you place it on carefully

[Fierybroon]

I use warm soapy water then rinse and dry two or three times a year.Also after the line has had a slimy outing in water.