For regular fishing use of your fly rod, cleaning the ferrules is a job you'll probably only do once or twice a season. Naturally, if you fish the rod a lot, or use it in harsh conditions, you'll need to do it more often. Either way, over time the metal surfaces collect dirt that can be hard to see & they can oxidize, making the fit difficult.
Just one note: This is how I clean ferrules. If you've got a different way that works better for you, by all means do it your way. The important thing is that you keep the ferrules clean.
supplies needed:
1.) Isopropyl (rubbing) alcohol
2.) Cotton swabs
3.) Soft rags - paper towels will do; or a polishing cloth (microfiber, etc.)
4.) 0000 steel wool - optional for really bad ferrules
5.) Beeswax or Ivory bar soap (w/ no additives) - this is optional, but recommended
the process:
To clean the male ferrules, moisten a soft rag or paper towel with the rubbing alcohol & wipe the slide section of the male down with the rag. Again, try not to get too much alcohol on the rod or the ferrule wrap.
What if you've got really filthy ferrules from an old rod you just acquired or found. Maybe you have a rod that hasn't seen the light of day in years & the ferrules look really dirty. For really bad jobs, you would clean the female ferrule the same way (it's just going to take longer & use more cotton swabs). To clean really atrocious males you can moisten some 0000 steel wool with the rubbing alcohol & clean them the same way as shown above.
Once you get the ferrule looking clean & all the grime off, wipe it down with a soft rag & some more rubbing alcohol to remove any invisible bits the steel wool might have left behind.
extra:
1.) protect the ferrules from oxidation
2.) help them to slide together better.
This can also be a useful practice for ferrules that are slightly looser in fit by tightening the connection between them. All of the rods I make currently get a coating of beeswax on the ferrules.
Ivory soap works very well, but it needs to be reapplied each time before you assemble the rod. Beeswax stays on the ferrules much longer & only needs to be applied a few times per season after cleaning your ferrules, but it holds & attracts dirt which can damage ferrules. Any time you notice the fit of your ferrules getting looser or tighter, clean them & reapply the beeswax.
To apply the beeswax or Ivory soap, simply rub it evenly over the slide of the male ferrule only. Shown below is the beeswax being applied to the make ferrule's slide section.
conclusion:
As always, should you have any questions about ferrules, cleaning them, or anything else, please feel free to contact me. I'm always happy to help my fellow anglers when I can. I hope you found this both useful & helpful. Happy ferrule cleaning!