Gear Review: Ardent Reel Cleaning Kit

I just got back from a soggy fishing trip in New York’s Catskill Mountains. Thanks to continuous and heavy rains, the Beaverkill was high and muddy. So were the East and West Branches of the Delaware. I did get in some trout fishing in the upper reaches of the Willowemoc, as that stream clears before other area streams, but that was about it.

Once home, I did something I rarely do: I put all my flyreels on my workbench, took them apart, and cleaned and lubed them. On a roll, I also pulled out a couple of Shimano Symetre spinning reels, stripped them down, and cleaned and lubed them as well.

I point this out because, for the first time, I actually had an official reel cleaning kit. (In the past, I used anything I had lying around – usually an old toothbrush and some WD-40.) This kit has all you need: a Reel Kleen Degreaser, Reel Butter Oil and Grease, a brush and swabs, a combo Phillips/flathead screwdriver, and a silicone cloth, all in a snap-shut plastic case that could easily fit into a tacklebox. It’s a good idea – like having a Hoppe’s gun cleaning kit, for fishing. Cost is $19.95; ardentreels.com. If you go to their website, check out their casting reels. Good stuff and it’s made in the U.S.A. – Jay Cassell