Cleaning/Restoring Cork Rod Handles

[tjm]

24 minutes ago, Terrierman said:

as a preservative.  Eels are best.

First eel I ever caught was off a Navy pier and it wrapped half around my leg sliming a brand new pair of dungarees before I got it turned loose; now the ships laundry used powerful soap and could wash the thickest blackest wire rope grease out our uniforms but not that eel slime, well the slime appeared to wash out  but over time and many washings that streak stayed "brand new blue" while the rest of the pants faded like any blue denim. 

[fishinwrench]

Have you ever had a rod that the grip was made from chopped cork, with a "skin" on it that made it look like actual cork rings ?  

Once that skin wears thru the rest of the grip just crumbles away.   

I had some Quantum IM6 rods that I really liked, but the grips were the first thing to go.  They just crumbled away.   Really pissed me off 😡

[tjm]

12 minutes ago, jdmidwest said:

How many eels have you had on the fly rod?  

Dozens. After I found out my mother in law liked to eat them I targeted them in one particular little brook, they'll take an unweighted black or brown marabou streamer better than anything else that I tried, but I caught them on larger nymphs too.

[tjm]

15 minutes ago, fishinwrench said:

Have you ever had a rod that the grip was made from chopped cork, with a "skin" on it that made it look like actual cork rings ?  

Once that skin wears thru the rest of the grip just crumbles away.   

I had some Quantum IM6 rods that I really liked, but the grips were the first thing to go.  They just crumbled away.   Really pissed me off 😡

never saw one with the fake rings but those chopped cork/sheet cork grips that I have seen were kinda like old particle board when they started crumbling away.

[Maverickpro201]

12 hours ago, jdmidwest said:

How many eels have you had on the fly rod?   I shocked one up on a Mississippi River Tributary during a shocking run for my cousins Master Thesis in College.  Never had one on hook and line.

I have caught quite a few on the Meramac River, on Hook and Line, when we were Catfishing. Back in the day as kids. They eat good when hot, but I think they taste like Poop when cold. And they are fun to try and hold on too.  

[Terrierman]

13 hours ago, jdmidwest said:

How many eels have you had on the fly rod?   I shocked one up on a Mississippi River Tributary during a shocking run for my cousins Master Thesis in College.  Never had one on hook and line.

I don't fly fish but have caught a number of eels in the Osage River near Jefferson City.  They will permanently slime a boat.

[fishinwrench]

23 minutes ago, Terrierman said:

I don't fly fish but have caught a number of eels in the Osage River near Jefferson City.  They will permanently slime a boat.

Eels are interesting critters.   

When you think of the places they are found, and then consider where they came from.......Wow! 

The craziest place I've ever seen an eel was seined up in a minnow pond near Richmond, Mo.  It was a big one too (almost 3' long) and mean as hell ! 

They've been found above Truman dam too, which is also totally amazing.    Almost unbelievable.

[jdmidwest]

Amazing how we flipped this one to eel talk.....

[tjm]

 I was told that to make them easier to hold onto to roll them in wood ashes, living in the city at the time I had no ashes but did discover that play sand worked almost as well. They don't seem to ever quit trying to get away though, even making circles around the sink after beheading  and skinning them. 

[luckycraft]

I’ve heard they are delicious, smoked.