We all know we�re supposed to wash our reels after use, but what else should be done to make those expensive pieces of equipment last? Murray Kirkness found out on a recent trip to Shimano Australia�s workshop.

Reel maintenance. Yeah, right. In these days of political correctness, I�m what you�d call mechanically challenged to say the very least. I mean, I still get a surprise when I lift a car�s bonnet and find an engine under it.

So for me an article on reel repair was an assignment from hell. Sure, I wash my reels every time I get home, give �em a wipe with a rag, loosen the drag and give the whole unit a squirt with WD40. But that�s as far as it goes - when my reels need serious attention, I hand them over to an expert. As it turns out I�ve pretty much been doing the right thing, at least according to Shimano�s reel repair guru Paul van Ryan. And if he doesn�t know, who does? Paul is kept busy repairing and/or servicing at least 50 reels a week that are sent to Shimano�s Sydney headquarters needing some professional care and attention.

He�s been doing it for years and is also Shimano�s spare parts manager - so who better to ask about the rights and wrongs of looking after our expensive toys? The first myth Paul exploded was washing your reel under a tap when you get home. The theory may be right, but in practice it�s a no-no. The water pressure can force open seals and the like, causing more damage than good, so Paul recommends a quick squirt of water using one of those plastic atomiser bottles that hairdressers use. They�re cheap to buy, mum can borrow it when she wants to do the ironing and the fine spray works a treat in helping you clean your reel after use. "Salt is the real killer," Paul explained. "The idea is to wet the reel with a fine, gentle spray and then remove any salt build-ups, pillie scales etc that may be on the reel.

Once the reel is wet all you need to do is give it a wipe with a rag to remove those sorts of things and squirt it with either a product like Sports Proof or WD40. I don�t know whether anyone�s proved whether those sorts of sprays hurt fishing line or not but if you�re worried about that it�s a simple procedure to take off the spool and then squirt the reel body." All that�s left is to loosen the drag and take the reel off the rod before storing. Right, well anyone can do that. But how often does a reel need a thorough overhaul? "Every six months to a year depending on the frequency of use," Paul answers. "The reel needs to be stripped right down and bathed in kero to remove all the salt and other junk.

All the components need a really good clean. Then it�s a matter of replacing any worn parts, checking the bearings and giving the drag a good working over. Then you re-grease the parts - and they only need a smear of grease, not a thick covering - before reassembling the reel." Sounds easy, huh? Well, Paul advises those of us who never played with Mechano as a kids not to rush in and do-it-ourselves. I mean, how many of us strip down the latest Holden Commodore and give it a service in the garage? "I guess it all depends how handy you are," Paul says. "I think virtually everyone should give the job to a Shimano-approved warranty center..

But if you do decide to pull a reel down yourself you should lay the parts out sequentially. It�s pretty complex and a reel simply won�t work if even one part is left out." "I get a lot of reels sent here in boxes, surrounded by hundreds of parts after the owner decided to service them themself, only to give up. And that�s a nightmare. You�ve got a box filled with bits and pieces, you�re not sure what�s missing and what�s not, and it takes twice as long to service." Hmm, sounds familiar. I�ve got a couple of reels in a similar state at home. The silly thing is that it�s hardly expensive to get a professional to do the job. Shimano has a flat rate of $15 an hour for labour and as each reel takes only 20 to 30 minutes to service, it generally costs no more than $5 to $7.50 (plus parts and postage costs) to give your reel the five star treatment. That won�t break too many budgets and makes good sense.

Paul says a reel that�s maintained properly should last for 15 to 20 years providing it�s used properly. When it comes to spares, Shimano has about 8000 parts in stock in Sydney and - in the rare cases where an item is not available in Australia - can call on the help of Shimano UK, USA and Japan. "We�ve got virtually everything here - we�ve got parts for reels that are 15 years old," Paul says. "And it�s a big part of Shimano�s business. At least four hours of every working day are spent dealing with spare parts orders.

In extreme cases we have to go outside the country but that�s very rare. Still, it�s nice to know we�ve got that back-up." Finally, Paul says his talents are hardly unique. Shimano distributors in each state have similarly qualifies people to service and repair reels so if you�ve got anything from a Baitrunner to a Biomaster, a Calcutta to a Tiagra, give them a call.