Cork cleaning

[Tangled Tippet]

Is there a way to restore grundgy cork grips short of sanding? I know that a light sanding will take dirt and grime off but eventually you will end up with a grip the diameter of a pencil.

[mtnzone]

there are alot of ways, but as far as cleaning my cork.. warm water and soap and a course washcloth or scrubbie work best for me..............and wont hurt the cork.

[Steve H.]

Call me weird, but I prefer not to clean the cork on my fly rods. I love how the natural darkening of the cork reflects its use. I think it actually enhances the look of the rod, like an old baseball glove or hiking boots that have weathered with age. Lots of great memories!!

[Tom Jutras]

Hey Steve H.
I'm just as weird as you. I think there is a lot of beauty in a well used cork. And I never wash my fishing vest as well. I think it's part of a true trout bum.

[Tangled Tippet]

Hmmm,never thought of it that way. I figured the grime and such might deteriorate the cork after some time. But I will say that my vest still smells like the river,and the grass stain down the back reminds me of that ride I took down a steep slope on the way to my honeyhole. :lol:

[mer]

To back up what Steve and Tom have said, studies have shown that cleaning the grip on a fly rod reduces the amount of fish-catching karma in the rod and makes it less effective at catching fish. So if you want to have more "nice days on the water" and less fish-catching days, go right ahead and clean them; I encourage you to.

:lol:

[StrBender]

Mer, dose that meen I shouldn't run the iron over my fly vest after it comes out of the washing machine either? Crap, I hate it when it looks all wrinkled and messy. I feel better when I look like the models in the catologs.

[SaltH2oFly]

:lol:

Ya - I'm with the "keep it dirty" crowd....it took a lot of hours on the water to earn that dirt!

Much like the various belt degrees in Martial Arts...the longer and better you get, the darker the belt - to resemble the time it took a new student to go from a new white belt to a well used dirty white belt...

[mtnzone]

LOL... DONT GET ME WRONG ITS LIKE WASHING A BASEBALL HAT """yOU NEVER DO IT" BUT IF YOU JUST GOT TO CLEAN IT THEN WARM WATER AND SOAP DO THE TRICK......

[SaltH2oFly]

Hey Stephen - are you coming down for the Guide's Assoc. meeting on Wednesday night?

[BugChucka]

You guys read my mind...washing a cork would be like....well.... I don't know...but I definitely don't do it.

[mtnzone]

me???? :lol: there are alot of steve's on here??

[Casey A. Wood]

I see a product for sealing cork called Trondak cork perma seal. website: www.fujiflyrodguide.com. I don't know if their products are any good. Bought a bamboo rod taht needs a ferrule. I'l give a shot to see how it goes.

[flygal]

Natural hand oils are a patina finish to your cork that will only preserve your cork and keep it from drying out......If ya have ever ventured into the White Mtns and placed your hand on a well used hand rail you notice it's covered in hand oils and the wood in dam fine condition....:wink:

[fessiewig]

Hey Flygal, I never thought of discolored cork from that perspective. I've always considered discolored cork as a sign of a well used rod. I've already started preserving the cork on my new Orvis 5wt. :D

[overmywaders]

I never clean cork grips on old fly rods (some I have used were ca. 1890), I just assume that any of the signs of age are good memories (days fishing don't provide too many bad memories) transmuted and transmitted to me. Another reason not to clean old cork is that the next time you get the grip wet, ridging of the cork may start at the annular rings. Not fun.

I foolishly bought a new fishing vest this year. My old one was quite old, the elastic was gone at the waist, half the zippers were broken, and the smell, while beneficial in clearing the stream downwind, brought two tickets from the EPA and an endorsement opportunity from a Brie factory.

The new vest has NO LUCK! I know it caused the floods this spring, the low-water this summer, my fishing buddy lost his girlfriend and took up horticulture, and I've had to work every weekend since April.

Do not wash your vest or cork grips. The flowers you grow may be your own.

[Steamtrain]

Do not wash your vest or cork grips. The flowers you grow may be your own.

only golfers wash their grips and vests.

[lowwall]

I used to keep my rods in my boat and the grips would get a little mildew (green stuff)on them after awhile. I used to use rubbing achohol on them and then rub them with , True Oil or linesead oil till dry. Building rods I have used u1040 cork sealer. Don't like the looks of it. The trueoil give the cork a nice finish. Now with normal use I just let them be.

[flygal]

LOL, Am a Horticulturist by trade and have a fulltime gardening business, theirs alway time of fishing :P - tell your friend FF has a lot to do with horticulture - I'm always amazed how much it has helped me on the water!



The new vest has NO LUCK! I know it caused the floods this spring, the low-water this summer, my fishing buddy lost his girlfriend and took up horticulture, and I've had to work every weekend since April.

Do not wash your vest or cork grips. The flowers you grow may be your own.