What do you mean by “unspooling”? I hate to assume...
From the Urban Dictionary:
Unspool: To lose one’s mind as a result of a major emotional shock, from the pilot episode of the television series Wonderfalls:
(Jaye discovers that her sister Sharon is a lesbian)
Jaye: Does Mom know?
Sharon: She would unspool!
Jaye: Can I tell her?
He is repairing his fishing pole?