Hey guys.......just a few things on drags I wanted to pass on. Most of you probably know this stuff.

Any time you are done fishing, go ahead and release the tension on your drag washers after you are done fishing for the day. This goes for spinning reels as well as casting reels. This will prolong the life of the drag washers.
Many reels that have a dry drags system, if left under pressure, will flatten them prematurely and if left for a long time, may bond itself to the metal washers of the system causing them to not work properly.
Reels that have the fiber wet drag system, such as the curados, older smaller calcuttas etc, can be affected as well if tension is not released. The washers on these reels are impregnated with a teflon drag grease which makes them so smooth. If left under pressure for extended periods, it tends to squeeze the grease out of the washers and flatten out the fiber washers.

Also, any lubrication at all that is not intended for the drag washers will ruin them. The wet drag washers can not just be greased with any old grease, it needs to be the correct drag grease. Dry drags systems must remain just that, dry. Unfortunately, I have found that the manufacturers will sometimes put too much lubrication into the reels when assembling, such as in the one way anti reverse bearings. This excess lube will eventually make its way down the main shaft and into the drag system, making them sub par right out of the box

Excessive moisture inside the reel can cause a multitude of problems for your drags as well as bearings, gearing, and the many other moving parts of the reel. I have seen it many times over the years where someone will be taking a photo of a fish and their reel is at their feet, submerged under water........from a reel mechanics perspective.....this is never a good thing !

Preventative maintenance is a wonderful thing if done correctly. I have received many reels over the years from people who tell me "I just took the WD-40 can and put the red hose on it and stuck it in every hole I could find and gave it a spray" This my friends is instant death on the performance of your reel system. With fishing reels, less is definitely more as far as lubrication.

Please fire away with questions if you have any, I could go on and on and on about this stuff, but I just wanted to get the basics out there .

Just loosened the drag on my new shimano symetre reel

Good job Throbbit!! Doesnt take long to reset each morning and its good for the reel!!

your from medford so maybe u can answer my question. i need the part of a rod that you attach the reel to. i have a old rod and that piece was lost. i just got back from sportsmans wharehouse and the guy working there said none of the stores around here carry rod making components. id rather not order online. they were also sold out of pink berkley worms lol. thanks for your help.

THROBBIT,

I dont know of anyone around here that carries rod components. You are likely going to have to order online. I would give site sponsor Batson Enterprises a call, they will likely be able to help you out.

Thats unfortunate. thanks for your help though. What stores do you shop at for your steelhead gear?