cleaning reels

[silverstoat]

I had another query. What do people use to clean their reels.
I have a Scientific Anglers System 2 -WD40 or should I use a bit of grease?

[wilbert]

I am not that familiar with the system 2 reel but I would use a good quality grease with a high melting point to lubricate the internals. Grease is less likely to interfere wit your drag system and in some cases you actually need grease between the friction plates for it to work correctly. I have a Shakespeare reel which is a hardy copy and its great when its dry but wade too deep and get it wet and its a case of what drag! time to strip it down and re grease. WD40 may harm your backing and fly line if any drops are spilled onto them so for this reason alone this is why I don't use it. Your wifes old tooth brush or currant one if you are not getting on is good for giving the reel a good clean before re greasing.

[salmonfly]

silverstoat said:

I had another query. What do people use to clean their reels.
I have a Scientific Anglers System 2 -WD40 or should I use a bit of grease?

I just wash my Reels under the tap with clean water, after every fishing trip.
This will remove the dirt and grit from your Reels and lines, Dirt grit/sand and salt builds up after a while on your Reels if you don’t wash them off, which will lead to a failure in your reels at some point and time.

[silverstoat]

Thanks for your help. I'll follow your suggestions. I don't have a wife to borrow a toothbrush from!
I had already used some WD40, and it bit may have got on the the fly line and backing, so I hope it's OK. It's interesting what you say about needing to add grease after getting the reel wet as the drag no longer functions as well. In July I lost what appeared to be a good salmon (15lbs ish) on the North Esk that I hooked after my reel had been submerged. When the fish ran all down the pool,it seemed that the drag just went. It felt like the spool had come loose.
Has anyone else had a similar experience?