Our story
Rochester Tackle, since 1990
The Todd family opened Rochester in 1990. 36 years on, it’s a family shop in Pietermaritzburg, run by people who fish.
The Todds.
Mark Todd owns and runs the shop. He has his Natal colours in bass fishing, and he knows the dams and the sea well enough to give first-hand advice about both. He fishes the bass tournament trail with Mark Schmidt.
Ian Todd started the rod repair and rod-building side of Rochester. The shop’s repair workshop grew out of that.
What people notice when they walk in is the family feel. You get attention from the minute you come through the door, and advice aimed at the fish you want to catch.
From the archive
The shop floor, around 2012.
Photographs from Rochester’s first website. The fish mounts, the pegboard, the rod racks. Some things change slower than others.
The shout
“Wake up, boet!”
The cartoon angler with his arms out, and his shout, turn up on Rochester’s flyers and specials. It’s the shop’s way of saying the fish are biting and you’re still in bed.
The mark
A bass, jumping the oval.
The same logo is on the caps, the jerseys and the side of the boat. Some versions carry the line ‘Reel’ choice is everything!
Also in the family: Heel and Key Bar (shoe repairs and key cutting) and Duke's Storage (self-storage in Pietermaritzburg).
Come and say hello.
Downstairs at Hayfields Mall. Bring a question, a broken reel or a fishing story.