Modern Fly Line Care and Maintenance
Modern fly lines are engineered using advanced PVC and PE coatings designed to balance slickness, floatation, flexibility, and durability. While these coatings are built to perform in a wide range of conditions, a fly line’s real-world performance and usable life depend on how it’s cleaned, handled, and stored.
Exposure to dirt, heat, solvents, and physical abrasion can compromise flotation, degrade slickness, and shorten the life of a fly line. Fortunately, most of these issues are preventable with simple, routine care. The guidance below outlines practical habits for preserving performance and extending the life of your modern fly line season after season.
How to Clean your Fly Line
Cleaning your fly line is simple. Pull the line off your reel into a clean bucket or tub of fresh water. Put roughly 1oz or more of Cortland’s Line Cleaner solution onto a dry pad or towel. Wrap the towel with the applied line cleaner firmly around the line and slowly pull the line through the towel. You should be able to see dirt or discolored streaks start to appear on the pad or towel as you advance down the line. Make sure that you do your best to wrap the towel around the whole fly line to ensure a complete clean. Doing this throughout the season or before you store your line for extended periods of time can really ensure that the shoot ability, handleability, and longevity are preserved for many outings to come.
Fly Line Care system
→KEEP IT CLEAN
Fly line picks up microscopic dirt, grit, and algae that adhere to the PVC surface in an almost invisible film. Even when a line looks clean, this buildup reduces flotation and increases friction. Clean your fly line regularly by pulling it through a cleaning pad or a soft cloth dampened with mild soapy water. Always allow the line to dry before storage. Never use vinyl treatments, silicone sprays, or WD-40, as these can damage the coating.
→TREAT IT SPARINGLY
Fly line treatments can improve slickness when used correctly. The best products leave a microscopically thin film after replenishing plasticizers that migrate from a well-used line. Apply only a thin layer, wipe almost all of it off with a soft cloth, and allow the line to dry on the reel overnight before fishing. Heavy application attracts grit and reduces performance.
→KEEP IT AWAY FROM SOLVENTS
Aerosols, insect repellents, and some sun protection products contain chemicals that can damage fly line coatings. While PVC itself is resistant, the plasticizers and additives are not. Avoid products containing DEET, alcohol-based carriers, gasoline, cleaning solvents, and fast-drying floatants. Apply repellents away from your line and let them dry completely before handling line again.
→KEEP IT AWAY FROM HIGH HEAT
Prolonged exposure to high heat can pull plasticizers out of a fly line coating and permanently alter how it performs. Avoid storing fly line on dashboards, rear window ledges, in hot vehicle trunks, or in enclosed spaces exposed to direct sun.
→WATCH FOR PHYSICAL DAMAGE
Fly line coatings can be damaged through abrasion, crushing, or pinching. Common causes include stepping on line, especially with metal-spiked boots, jamming it under rocks or logs, or pinching it between the spool and frame of a fly reel. Even small, repeated damage points can significantly shorten line life.
→STRETCH IT
Fly line has memory and can take a set after storage on a reel. Before fishing, gently stretch the line by pulling off roughly the amount you typically cast and stretching short sections between your hands. One or two minutes of stretching improves shooting and handling and is a good time to give the line a quick wipe with a cleaning pad.
Care Routines
After each trip (2 minutes)
Pull the line off the reel to your normal casting length. Wipe it through a cleaning pad or soft cloth, stretch lightly to remove coils, and re-spool with light tension.
Preseason deep clean (10 minutes)
Strip the line into a clean tub or bucket. Pull the full length through a cleaning pad or damp cloth, inspect for abrasion or damage points, stretch lightly, and allow the line to dry before re-spooling.
Care Tools
Purpose-built fly line cleaners and cleaning pads can simplify routine maintenance without harming modern PVC coatings. Used regularly, they help maintain slickness, flotation, and consistent handling throughout the season.
