old reels

[grimfisher]

Does anyone else enjoy using their old reels better than their new ones? I have a Garcia-Mitchell 300 made sometime around 1970 that just doesn't give up. It was handed down to my father, who pretty much never used it, and he gave it to me a couple years ago. This year it got its first clean & lube in a long time - works like new! Here's a pic of my PB rainbow from last year, reeled in by the Mitchell along with what my dad calls the "Ted Williams rod" (???). http://www.people.umass.edu/pgrima/pictures/MAanglers/rainbow.JPG
For 30-somthing years old, that reel just keeps on kicking and clicking, and the bail spring is so tight it could still snap the neck of a small rodent!

Any other Mitchell maniacs out there?

[noresman]

The Ted Williams rod is a line of rods and fishing equipment that was made for sears back in the day. I used to have a Ted rod and reel from sears. I also have an old Mitchell 300 I use a lot. My dad bought it at Nicks Sport Shop in Palmer back in the 60's. He handed it down to me when I was about 10 and my first big bass stripped the gears in my trusty Zebco 202. I use it now for bait fishing you can't kill the thing all solid brass gears just change the bail spring every couple of years and it keeps on working.

[Toad]

Mitchell 300....my old standby! In my opinion best spinning reel ever made. Have two that I use all the time.

I remember my 1st one as a kid with a paper route. It took me 2 months of paper money from the route to get enough dinero to purchase one.

[grizbear13]

Wink1 My 300 mitchell was purchased around 1956 and it still works well, now I picked up some other 300 mdls that people didn't take care of real cheap [ free] and cleaned them up now they work fine. Hard to beat a real work horse...Grinning1Grinning1

[noresman]

I believe the Mitchell company was the first to make a commercial spinning reel. You're right about them being indestructable. I've bought a number of them real cheap at tag sales to cannabalize for parts if I need them. My Mitchell has lasted longer than any other reel I've ever owned. The only other reel that came close was my favorite ultra-light reel a Quick 110. I paid $72.00 for it back in 1972 it was a German made reel if I remember right. I beat the crap out of that reel using it for everything from brookie fishing to shad and pulling 5 and 6 lb largemouth out of the stumps at thousand acre swamp. It finally broke on me about 2 years ago and i couldn't find any replacement parts so I retired it.

[dana_c]

I still have one of those little Quicks kickin' around someplace. hHandle's bent a few degrees but otrherwise it still works fine.