FS Digest

I wanna start fishing or at least casting again. I have many rods/reels but they haven't been used for decades. Most of them I inherited from my dad so I'd love to clean/fix if possible. Appreciate any suggestions.

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by AddieGSD251

Chuck56 Loc: Texas

I suggest a reel repair shop, especially if it’s a couple of reels. I learned the hard way with an old reel. I took it apart and lost something. Took it to a reel repair guy and he fixed it. So, what ended up happening was this: took the reel apart like I knew exactly what I was doing, lost the part, got frustrated. Made a 60 mile round trip to the reel guy, dropped the reel off. 4 days later make another 60 mile round trip, pay the reel guy. He told me if I have any problems in the future I could just mail the reel(s) to him, he would fix it and mail it back. I would come out money ahead doing that. So, unless you know exactly what to do with old reels that need repairing , I would find a reel guy in your area and try to make arrangements, figuring the cost to mail the reel or reels compared to driving to the reel guys place. ....The rods shouldn’t be much of an issue. Just make sure you check the guides for nicks. The nicks could cut your line. A dremel type tool can be a valuable thing in certain situations . Also a Mr Clean magic erasure pad can work wonders on the cork handles , if that is what you have. They do pretty good on the rod blanks too......My 2 cents.

bapabear Loc: Blaine, Washington

Chuck is right, If you do not enjoy working with fine parts, send it in. If you do wish to do the work yourself, or can not afford professional assistance. I suggest you get on the internet. You can find a parts diagram and exploded view for most reels, even old ones free. I also take a bunch of phone photos while disassembling. I got a dinner lap tray with edges. I glued felt like carpet to it so parts would not roll. Put the tray on a solid surface, not your lap, when working. Put the parts in stable soup bowls. Photo screws as you pull them because they are often different lengths. I keep a steel 6 inch ruler with my reel repair box. I have boxes of reels from old clients that I make usable and give away. Shipping them out would be impractical financially. There is a lot of satisfaction in making an old reel that will not or barely turns into a working tool that goes back to catching fish.

HenryG Loc: Falmouth Cape Cod Massachusetts

If you don't want to spend the money taking them to a repair shop YouTube has plenty of videos on the subjects highly recommend you checking them out it's good to do your own maintenance🇺🇸🎣😀👍