Sea-IV...you are spot on..Its the cottonwood for sure...Some fleas of course mixed in,but the cottonwood is definitely what is clogging up the reels and rod eyes. My question is,,,,,is it only on the surface and riding down the line and stacking up...Or is it in the water column from top to bottom and the line going to the ball is picking it up...I wouldnt think it would be suspended in column