vintage-reel-service-guides

Vintage Reel Service Guides

This site documents service procedures for mid‑priced American‑made fishing reels from the 1930s–1970s.

This site is intended to provide a growing and evolving repository for service and repair guides plus historical background for mid-priced American-made reels for all types of fishing–spinning, spincasting, baitcasting, fly-fishing–from the 1930s through the 1970s; placing these reels in context of creating practical, usable, affordable balanced tackle for all types of fishing in combination with modern tackle.

Part of the purpose of this repository is to celebrate American craftsmanship of the early 20th century, and to provide resources for those interested in keeping concrete examples of that craftsmanship in working order, with the intent to use them in the field rather than simply collect, curate, and display them, although these activities are also valued.

Another aspect of this service/repair/usage approach is to suggest, explore, and discover how vintage reels can be integrated into modern tackle; for example, line will typically be new, and this repository will include information on appropriate pound-tests, line types, and spool capacities for each; this will facilitate making informed decisions about creating balanced tackle using a combination of the best of vintage and modern tackle.