Keeping Things Rolling

KEEPING THINGS ROLLING

Smooth line guides are crucial to good fishing

By Paul Nixon

MAINTENANCE and preparation have been the focus of many articles in SKI-BOAT magazine, and most of them have concentrated on boat motors, reels, end tackle and the like, but very few guys speak about line rollers. Simple, regular maintenance gives the angler the opportunity to pick up small issues that are relatively easy to sort out before they turn into major problems that need long downtime or expensive replacements.

We are now moving towards the big tuna hunting season when tackle is heavily utilised by those lucky enough to spend long hours out on the big blue. With that in mind, we should start focusing more on spot maintenance to make sure we continue to have smooth solid-functioning equipment and minimal delayed downtime with equipment having to spend time at a workshop being repaired.

Line rollers on your fishing rod have a very simple design, and only simple tools are required to maintain them, and keep them spinning freely and smoothly. Issues that usually pop up are salt and patina buildup on the actual roller housing and line roller, as well as crystallization of salt within the roller sleeve. The tip roller can also get slightly bent if it’s knocked or dropped.

Start by taking each roller apart; that’s essentially four pieces — housing, roller, sleeve and fastening screw. Clean each part carefully, first with a solvent to break down any old lubricants, salt or other material inhibiting the free movement.

I would suggest polishing with nothing more than fine steel wool to ensure the stainless parts are gleaming again and then oiling and reassembly should be done on each roller from start to completion so as to not mix up parts.

If the frame of the roller has oxidisation and salt buildup, then clean and polish that as well to ensure there are no rough edges.

Also make sure that the entire makeup is still perfect and not corroded. If this is the case, then you will have to book the rod into a rod repair shop to have a new roller housing fitted.

The top roller housing should also be inspected to make sure it is not nicked or bent. If it is bent and preventing the roller from turning you can — carefully — bend it open ever so slightly to get it running freely again, on top of the cleaning and polishing stated above.

The same simple maintenance should also be done on standard ring line guides by taking a soapy solution and a sponge or soft nylon brush to clean off salt and fish slime buildup. Then lightly spray on a silicone based film to further ensure the metal and ceramic parts are freed of any unwanted salt and resulting rust and corrosion.

For more information on reel repairs, servicing and upgrades contact Paul Nixon on 083 940 6273.