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Bringing a reel in for a service

What to bring, what to tell us, and the small habits that keep a reel out of the workshop in the first place.

· Rochester Tackle

A baitcasting reel on its box on the shop counter

Rochester has its own rod and reel workshop, and a lot of what comes across the counter could have been avoided. Here is what helps.

Bring the whole thing

The reel, and the rod too if the problem shows up when you’re casting. If a part has come off, bring it in a bag. A missing spring or clip is easier to replace when we can see what it was.

Tell us what it’s been fishing

Salt water is the big one. A reel that’s been on the rocks or on a boat and then left in the garage will have a different problem from one that’s been used in a dam. Tell us if it’s been dropped, dunked, or sat unused for a few seasons.

What happens next

You get advice and a quote before any work starts. Some reels are worth a service and some aren’t, and we’ll say which. The workshop carries spares for a lot of the common makes.

Keeping it out of the workshop

  • Rinse sea reels in fresh water after every trip. Gently, from a tap, not a pressure hose.
  • Back the drag off when you pack up, so it isn’t compressed for weeks.
  • Keep it dry and out of the sun between trips.
  • Put a drop of reel oil where the manufacturer says to, not everywhere.

Bring it in during shop hours: Monday to Friday 08:00 to 17:00, Saturday 08:00 to 13:00.

All fishing

Tell us where you’re fishing.

The water, the species, the time of year, what you already own. We’ll tell you what we’d use, and what you can skip.