We'll put the value of your trade-in on a Trident gift card you can use to shop for new fly fishing gear on our website. Used gear cannot be purchased with Trade-In Credit.
For common models, we keep a price list so you do not have to wait to find out what your gear is worth. Quotes are good for 30 days and we will provide a final valuation upon inspection of your gear.
If our final valuation is below our original estimate, and too low for you to accept, we'll ship it back to you.
Please note: For some legacy products we don't have model-by-model pricing data. Because of this, we may take line weight and length into consideration when providing the final valuation.
Do you still want to do it the old-fashioned way? Send an email to [email protected] detailing your trade (model, line weight, condition) and we'll get back to you with a quote within three business days! You will not receive more credit by submitting a quote through email. If the product has an instant quote, the email quotes will match.
Trade-In credit CANNOT be used to purchase used gear from our website.
Current Model: Instant quotes are for the newest model year unless stated otherwise.
Rod Sections: Quotes are for the standard number of sections. If it comes in both a 2pc and a 4pc, assume the quote is for the 4pc unless specified.
Original Accessories: Instant quotes assume that the rod or reel comes with the original rod tube, sock, and or pouch. We will adjust the quote accordingly during inspection if it does not.
For rods missing a tube or sock expect the value to decrease by about 10%. For reels without a pouch expect the value to decrease by about 5%.
If your rod or reel comes with a third-party tube or pouch, expect to receive a 5% reduction in value.
Spare Spools: Instant quotes do not take spare spools into consideration. Unfortunately, spare spools do not retain much of their value when traded-in. We have an option in this form to indicate you are including spare spools. We will reach out with an adjustment after submission for spools if you indicate you have them.
Custom Gear: Our instant quotes assume that all gear is built by the manufacturer and has not been modified in any way. If we find out your gear has been modified, we may reject the trade or suggest we sell it for you through our auction option.
Fly Line: We do not take fly lines into consideration for trades. You may keep your fly line if you would like to as it has no impact on our reel or spool valuations.
When sending us information for a custom quote we ask you to rate your rod or reel on a scale of 1-10. Below are guidelines for rating your equipment.
10 – Like New. This rod will be essentially indistinguishable from a new rod. It may have a cork that’s a little darker, but it will be no different than a rod that’s on a fly shop floor that people have picked up and cast a few times.
9 – Almost New. This is a rod that’s been out fishing a few times. It will have a darker cork than new and may have some minor imperfections in the blank such as a small number of short, light scratches.
8 – Excellent. This is a great-looking rod. Think of this as a rod that’s been used lightly for a season. The cork has started to look worn in, the blank has some scratches on it from the drift boat, rocks, Clouser minnows, etc. The scratches in the blank and/or reel seat will be more obvious and frequent. There may be very small cracks in the epoxy, but they would only be something that you would detect if you really went over the rod with a fine-tooth comb.
7 – Very Good. A used rod. It’s seen 30+ days on the water. The cork will be worn in at this point and may be rather dark. It could also be missing some small filler. The blank may have scratches that are easily visible and some of the small damage that is deeper than the paint. There may be some minor damage to the epoxy. These rods are still fishable and will have little serious damage to speak of.
6 – Good. A well-used rod. These rods have seen many seasons on the water. The cork will be very worn in and will be rather dark. Expect missing cork filler. The blank may have many scratches and some could be ‘more than skin deep. Expect some epoxy damage and/or bent guides. These are rods that are in good working order but are definitely not pretty.
5 and Below – We see very few of these rods. They will have major issues and will likely need to be repaired before use.
10 – Like New. This reel is like new in every way. It may have some very minor signs of wear.
8 - Excellent. Shows some signs of use. May have some minor cosmetic issues like dents or scratches from normal use.
6 - Good. Normal cosmetic wear but no structural issues.
4 – Acceptable. Strong cosmetic wear and may have minor structural issues. Will still be fishable.
Trident Fly Fishing
Trade-In Department
190 Riverside Street Suite 9A
Portland, ME 04103
Most post offices and shipping hubs have boxes you can purchase. Any sturdy box that fits your rod and or reels should work.
If you have a rod tube: Place the tube and other tackle into the box and surround it with paper or bubble wrap.
DO NOT USE PACKING PEANUTS. They are bad for the environment and get everywhere. Do not ship rod sections in a tube without a sock or packing paper.
If you do not have a tube: Wrap the rod with paper or bubble wrap. Extend the wrap a couple of inches beyond each end to protect the rod tip.
Seal the box and give it a shake to make sure the gear isn’t loose in the box.
Finally, ship it.
No, we will not pay for the cost of shipping the gear to Trident.
The package must be postmarked by the quote expiration date which can be found on your quote. If it isn't we may have to re-quote.
We accept packages from USPS, FedEx, UPS, and DHL. We do not have a preference.
While infrequent, we recommend insuring your package for the value of the equipment. We cannot be held liable for a shipping carrier losing an item. Keep your receipt and contact the carrier if this happens.
We commit to processing your trade (receiving, inspecting, issuing credit) within three business days of receiving your rod. Normally it is less but sometimes we get busy. If you have an auction option trade we will post it within 5 business days of it being processed. The auction will run for 10 days. Once payment from the buyer clears (a few days, it can vary) we will send you a breakdown and your code.
We do not do rod-for-rod or reel-for-reel trades. You must follow the process of receiving a quote. We will give you store credit for the value we feel the item is worth. This could be more or less than the rod you desire.
Your gift code expires 1 year from the date it is issued.
All trades are final. If your tackle is posted for sale on our website and/or eBay, we probably won't notice if you buy it back...
We do not have a schedule. To be notified of new gear drops sign up for used tackle email alerts.
If you’re leaving for a trip and cannot wait, purchase the gear now and we will refund your credit card for the amount of the trade. This must be pre-approved before you send the trade. Keep in mind the value can be lowered once we receive the rod if it is in bad shape. Any remaining balance will be paid out as store credit.
No, store credit only. Which is as good as cash on our website, you can use it to buy virtually anything on our website except for used gear.
Our valuations are based on actual sales prices not a percentage of retail. Unfortunately, like automobiles, fishing equipment depreciates rapidly.
We cannot disclose this information. We try to break even in terms of man-hours and effort it takes to photograph and list a trade. This requires selling the item for a bit more than we paid for it.
If you have special equipment or we cannot determine fair market value for your gear, we will likely suggest the auction option. Learn more about this here.