how can i remove old fish scales from a rod

hi i just got my spinning 13ft rod rod returned after a year of been 'borrowed' for a days fishing. . it is covered in fish scales i cant see the black of the rod from the white of the scales. and they have been on for a year .... SO what is the best way to get the scales off the rod i tryed to scraping them off with my thumb nail and its takin hours.the handle is made of cork so not sure about soaking it. Help............... thanks.

no problem wetting the handle. Best thing to do is fill a bath with Luke warm water and immerse the rod and get a cloth an scrub . Be sure to leave the rod to air dry and it should be fine

well if it had that many scales on it i,d say it caught a few fish so at least your borrower got good use out of it

basically as Preston says but in addition use a few squirts of washing up liquid before sponging the blank and handles down with a non abrasive pad and do not omit to dry the rod with a clean towel, especially on the spigots. Otherwise swelling might occur and you have trouble putting your rod together. Therefore, do not soak it too long, a few minutes are enough just to loosen the worst of the grime and make sure to wax the rod surface after the procedure for protection. Lubricate the reel holder threads and metal parts with WD40 or similar resin free oil as well. And - for the future, always follow a simple rule: Never ever lend out your wife, your motor or your fishing gear. The condition these precious articles are returned (if at all) is certainly always most appalling.