--------------The Care & Maintenance of Silk Lines------------------------

There seems to be quite a lot of interest in the use of Silk Fly Lines; they are making a come-back and becoming very popular with those of us who fish with (Bamboo) Cane Fly Rods! We are told; a silk line can last at least 3, times as long as a top quality plastic line? providing we take good care of the silk line. So, What Care & Maintenance is Necessary for the Longevity of a Silk Line??

I have started this thread in the hope that, those of you with experience of many years of Maintaining and Caring for Silk Lines, would be kind enough to post a guide to the total care of a Silk Fly Line??

Type of questions regularly asked are :>

1, How to dress a new silk fly line?

2, What dressing do you use?

3, How do you apply the dressing?

4, Applying floatant while fishing the silk line?

5, After fishing for a day, what care is needed?

6, How often do you apply dressing to the complete line?

7, when would the silk line need re, oiling with Linseed oil?

8, What type of oil do you use including the make of oil?

9, Can someone guide us through the process of re, oiling a silk line?

10, Please can someone do a step by step, of care & maintenance,

When and How, are the questions we are asked most often!

Hope you can add to this thread with some advise, from your experiences of caring for a silk line; and fishing with them.

Thanks in advance to all who contribute to this thread!

Mostyn

Some good questions Mostyn.

An article here from "Over my waders" addresses some of your points - LINK

Brian

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“Let’s TACKLE Cancer” supporter

Thanks Brian,

I've stored that link in my favourites!!

Hi all, first post!

after a gap of 8 years, I've decided to get back into river fly fishing but go down the cane and silk route (midlife crisis - trying to recapture my youth!).
I bought a vintage pridex reel off ebay which came complete with an old silk line and found my way to "over my waders" site which you guy's have liinked to.

A couple of observations after following the instructions for the renovation of old lines and redressing:

bicarbonate of soda doesn't work. Instead I used a weak solution of washing soda and left it for 20 minutes as directed. The old dressing came off a treat and the line colour changed from dark green to a much paler green.
The line was then run tightly through a cloth soaked in the solution into a bowl of clean water. Once I was satisfied the solution had been rinsed off the lline then was hung up in 4' loops to dry which took a couple of hours.

I made up the dressing - 1 part spar varnish, 2 parts pure turpentine and 4 parts boiled linseed and ran the line through an heavily impregnated cloth. ( I used two cardboard boxes instead of the two paper bags as suggested cos they were all I had.) The line was then looped up again and after 3 hours was dry enough for another coating of the dressing. I repeated that 4 times until the line couldnt absorb any more and was still sticky to the touch after 8 hours drying time.

I ran the line through a clean kitchen towel several times(there are benefits to being single) to remove the excess dressing and left the line to dry fully overnight.

The next morning it was bone dry but seemed fairly stiff. I took a piece of dry chamois lleather and repeatedly ran the line through it, squeezing the line as it went. After only a couple of goes the line was as supple as silk should be and complete with a glazed surface.

Now it's back up hanging in loops awaiting the start of the new season!

Welcome Kev,

Some good tips there.

In a parallel universe, this morning I got a new/old reel with a virtually unused silk line on it.
It was rather dry and a bit stiff so - I set up the reel in an old butt section held in the vise in the workshop. Dug out the mucilin and a soft cloth.
Pulled the line out through the kitchen, and the living room, down the hall and around the front door handle, back to the kitchen taps and was just starting the 2nd lap ................when it broke.
Although it looked great, it was rotten - I could quite easily break it by pulling, not too hard either.

Motto - check before you grease your line

B

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“Let’s TACKLE Cancer” supporter

If any of you are interested, the West Yorks branch of the STA meet on Tuesday has Mike Brooks of Phoenix Silk lines as the guest speaker

Good man.
BTW you can achieve much the same finish with boiled linseed oil.

Best tip I can give is to echo enigma309.
If you want to fish a vintage silk line, make sure it's not rotted.

You can't tell it's rotted by appearance alone.

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That wouldn't happen with a Pridex

Hi Kev,

Welcome! what a brilliant post concise and easy to follow instructions!

Look forward to reading many more of your posts; and sharing your enthusiasm for silk and cane!

Regards

M

hello mostyn you have put up a good thread here as many like us are using silk lines as fly fishermen in the past have done, and many wishing to clean and re oil an old line will be pleased with this , many years ago i was given an old silk and not knowing wrote to the T&S. i recieved some nice replies even a lady of 85 from scotland with the kindness to send the full info like here. as silk is becoming more popular i shall be on the look out at auctions i go too in future if anyone on here interested.

Thanks Gordon,

I'm sure we all appreciate the many knowledgeable posts the forum members have written for our benefit. The time taken to help and encourage other fly anglers, always someone in this community willing to take the time to help his fellow fly-fishers. I certainly appreciate the many times I've found some helpful advise from other members; and grateful to receive it.

Long may it continue.

Regards

M