So, I will be fishing with my rod and reel in salt water, and I just have the normal floating line that came on the reel. In general, will all fly rods and reels work for both salt and freshwater, or are they made specifically for one? I will most likely be fishing every day with it, and it will be fished in sal****er almost all of the time. Can someone suggest to me what to do to clean it and keep it working well.
In general, will all fly rods and reels work for both salt and freshwater, or are they made specifically for one?
In regards to rods, there are some series of rods that are designed for fishing the salt. These rods are built to develop lots of line speed, have strong butt sections for lifting power, and have oversized guides for additional shooting head knot clearance.
There are also some series of rods that can crossover between fresh and salt. What to look for is an aluminum reel seat. On some standard wood insert reel seats, the metal hardware can corrode form the salt. Nowadays, a 6 weight can be purchased with an aluminum reel seat.
In regard to reels, think about corrosion resistance and the quality of the drag. A quality reel is made from machined aircraft grade aluminum (usually 6061). It is anodized with several layers to protect the aluminum from becoming corroded. Also, any other metal part on it will be stainless steel. Now consider the quality of the drag. A smooth and powerful drag will be key if you want to subdue your fish quickly. I prefer cork drags, but there are other good drag systems out there.
Can someone suggest to me what to do to clean it and keep it working well.
The best thing to do is to rinse your gear down with freshwater when you are done fishing. From time to time, clean the guides and reel seat of your rod and every nook and cranny of your reel with a tooth brush. When I clean my reel, I take off my fly lines. I will soak the line in my sink overnight. With the line off, I can brush the inside area of the spool. If you are fishing everyday, change your backing once a year.
In regards to fly line selection, are you fishing the surf in California, or are you fishing somewhere tropical? If you have a standard freshwater floating line, you may need to get another line for wherever you are fishing.
By the way, what do you have for your gear?
Abelboy
Edit: I have a feeling that you are surf fishing on the California coast. For line selection, you should be using a tip line or a shooting head.
