Dennis ... unless we're talking cold weather fishing and by cold, I mean 20s-30s (F), everything (spindle, pawls, bearings, drum bushings/gears) gets
lightly greased, save for the drag regulator screw, transfer bar and the pawl springs, which all get lightly oiled. In these parts, cold weather
angling generally means low, gin-clear water, sunny skies, micro midges, long leaders, 6-7x tippet and well, any unnecessary resistance translates into lost
fish ... I forsake the grease in favor of light oil in these winter conditions.
Bottom line and cold weather notwithstanding, because we're talking fly reels and not single-stage, two-speed supercharged Packard Merlin V-12s, when push comes to shove and IMHO, it doesn't really matter if it's oil or grease ... what's important is to keep your reel clean (grit, etc...) and avoid the tendency to over-lubricate, as Persaud & ttrotter alluded to with their artist's brush approach.
Bottom line and cold weather notwithstanding, because we're talking fly reels and not single-stage, two-speed supercharged Packard Merlin V-12s, when push comes to shove and IMHO, it doesn't really matter if it's oil or grease ... what's important is to keep your reel clean (grit, etc...) and avoid the tendency to over-lubricate, as Persaud & ttrotter alluded to with their artist's brush approach.
