Mitchell Reel Forum

Cool reel. I don’t have any A reels, missed on a few on the ‘bay.

Ted

I think it looks great. I hope it gets to go fishing from time to time, and brings you joy and memories of your Dad.

Ted

Bill, I have restored cars, motorcycles, bicycles, machinery and other stuff ad nauseam. The cans are handy for a guy in an apartment, or without a proper work space, but, perhaps 20 years ago I added a Quincy two stage 5 horse industrial compressor, that replaced a Speedaire 3 horse single stage co...

There are two versions of 3 in 1 oil. The version most are familiar with is the red and white can. It is mineral oil mixed with citronella, and is intended as a light duty lubricant mostly for indoor use. Think of what a housewife would use on a squeaky hinge. The citronella makes it smell pleasant,...

Great information, thanks. No wonder I never saw one, I was born in 1961, and bought my first Mitchell, a 301 I still own, in 1975, or so. I’m glad nobody tried to beat the spool off the axle, I’m sure it frustrated the heck out of somebody. I like it when there is a small capacity spool on a reel I...

This came along for cheap, or, what passes for cheap these days, under $20. I replaced a rusty bail with a nice roller bail, and spent two evenings getting the spool off the axle, as it had seized in place. Some rust cleanup, cleaned, lubed, adjusted, back in service. The first three digits of the s...

We used a scissors to cut from the bung up to the head, then cut right behind the head from the top down, about 3/4s of the way, then pulled the head down and the gut sack out. I always used an old toothbrush to remove the bloodline that ran against the spine, which makes the little guys taste even ...

Wow. Well outside my price range, but, cool to see. I hope he got all the shims back in after he took it apart for the photos.

Ted

Musky, the smaller ones, anyway, eat just fine. Like a northern, they are full of Y bones, but, skilled cleaning can remove those. Google “Silver Satin pickled fish” for a solution to bony Northerns, as well as Muskies. The key to dodging the mercury is eating smaller fish. Big fish have lived longe...

Smoked whitefish is the bomb. I’ve spent a lot of time around Lake Superior, and eaten a bunch of lake trout, smelt, and whitefish. Never seen smoked sucker for sale. A coworker smokes buffalo fish, and then turns it into a spread for crackers, but, only the real fish eaters have anything to do with...

Ted, Carp and Suckers are two different species. The mouth is on the bottom of the head on a sucker, and the mouth is on the front on a carp. As to what those Michiganders are doing with those suckers, I haven’t a clue. I have Native American, and Hmong friends that make fish head soup out of them, ...

I have been where you now are. I will be there, again. You have my deepest sympathy. I have been owned by several generations of bird dogs, all Setters, who seem to be well able to handle my deep character flaws, and do so, willingly. If heaven goes by merit, all my dogs will go, but, I suspect I m...

I have been where you now are. I will be there, again. You have my deepest sympathy. I have been owned by several generations of bird dogs, all Setters, who seem to be well able to handle my deep character flaws, and do so, willingly. If heaven goes by merit, all my dogs will go, but, I suspect I mi...

I like this stuff, a lot: https://cdn2.bigcommerce.com/server3300/7650b/products/697/images/975/dbea-MOBILGREASE_28__28527.1314371408.1280.1280.png?c=2 You can use a minimal amount, and it stays put like nothing I’ve ever seen. Probably overkill on a fishing reel, but, I have it on hand for other ta...

Thanks, Ted. I would have been embarrassed to put pre clean pictures of it up. It came in a cigar box. Somebody sprayed some black paint on it at one time, and, taking a tip from the bicycle restoration guys, I went after the new paint with hopes of leaving the old stuff intact. The sideplate was th...

Added a lefty half bail: https://i.ibb.co/S5mSj1b/EAAD841-F-5130-4198-A46-F-048-D94805-C7-D.jpg https://i.ibb.co/vJ9wM4H/C89-B2-A05-5-A6-F-4-D3-B-8067-5-F54942-B2983.jpg https://i.ibb.co/HCpTV23/2-FB5-D87-E-5-FD2-4-AA1-9404-6629-DD33289-C.jpg Paint is in horrific condition. But, the reel functions j...

There isn’t really any good reason to get rid of a baggie of half bail parts. Since, I now own one. Like I said, I’m an accumulator, not so much a collector, and I look forward to a few casts with my old reels after work in a few months. None of mine are precious except for the memories of friends a...

Well, OK. I guess the reel isn’t camera shy: https://i.ibb.co/DQfyPXk/59-D1-E87-B-7-F64-46-CE-B5-A2-041-D0675869-E.jpg https://i.ibb.co/h91bwZH/48023-B72-3-BD9-4361-9931-4-FD4-A8-CAFE24.jpg https://i.ibb.co/vY6JLZd/4-F6391-FB-5-CC7-47-BD-9-FAF-3-D53-AA0-FC8-E4.jpg https://i.ibb.co/m8WxrqR/212-A2-CDD...

I don’t have a new Mitchell reel book. Or, an old Mitchell reel book. Just this: https://mitchellreelmuseum.com/dating-mitchell-reels-by-serial-numbers/ It said A prefix was 49-50, and I just guessed that A2 was fairly early in the run. But, anywhere between 49-52 is still older than me. As to the g...

Not bad shape, seems like 1949 vintage with the A2 serial number. Some paint loss, and a bad main gear, otherwise, everything was OK. Just cleaned and serviced. This one runs very nice, looking forward to a few casts this summer. Ted https://i.ibb.co/hDg3419/185-C1-C5-F-C354-48-F6-912-A-5-F88117-CBF...

I think Don nailed it. The tools that come with the reels, or, were sold in a little kit for reel repair are poor substitutes for decent tools at home. I’d rather bring a spare reel on a fishing trip, than tools to work on one that is causing trouble. You don’t need much to completely disassemble a ...

I bought this old reel off the ‘bay: https://i.ibb.co/L1YkNWf/A23228-E7-7-C8-B-4-FC1-9-B31-56-A26-F72-CABF.jpg https://i.ibb.co/0n2j14t/FD6-E836-C-DBB2-4-DF0-8-D18-ED837-A32-B891.jpg https://i.ibb.co/tzHtry4/5-ED133-D1-C1-D5-432-B-8-F6-B-5-C8-EFC038509.jpg There were a bunch of things wrong with it,...

Yes, great pictures, provides a good explanation of how it goes together and how it works.

Much appreciated.

Ted

Thanks. This year, I’ve e hunted down a few old Mitchell reels just because I wanted them. I probably wanted them as a kid, too, but, I could only afford my 301, and a Mitchell rod for it, at the time. I didn’t live on the wrong side of the tracks, but, you could see and hear the trains run from my ...

Very cool!

Ted

I found a bit of an obscure Mitchell on the ‘bay a few days back: https://i.ibb.co/1Q7zvzf/1-F89-A273-6-E70-4776-B3-FE-4841-C33-B8-BC0.jpg instagram download your own photos This is a glamour shot, taken after a strip, clean, lubricate, and adjustment. The reel seems to have seen little use, but, wa...

That is a good looking reel. The grease fitting is a really good idea, but, it is doubtful any Americans would have a grease gun that fit that zerk, unless it came with the reel.

Thanks for the history lesson.

Ted

It’s hard to take pictures with the IPad, in the winter, in the basement: https://i.ibb.co/jRhjqg3/E24-DBF4-A-7-E25-408-B-9-FC1-0-F7865-CA95-DA.jpg https://i.ibb.co/tJMgwwJ/493-A9-A61-CFD4-4893-915-E-AC8759-C92-C62.jpg https://i.ibb.co/2ht7rXD/4747206-F-2596-442-C-B63-E-0-B1-A77-A2-E3-A8.jpg The let...

These were my Dad’s reels for many years: https://i.ibb.co/TBrGd3S/6-B0-F6-D5-B-F456-403-A-AA0-C-7-B675-DD9-B789.jpg https://i.ibb.co/m6TPHSg/43-E159-F0-3-F77-4-D79-A790-DB27-FB056706.jpg The better paint condition is a B prefix reel, the other is a C prefix. I think my Dad bought these used, from a...

Thank you, Christian. Happy New Year.

Ted

My family had several 440s and a 330. They were fished. Hard. My Dad took good care of stuff, but, it got used. We never broke any of the Mitchell reels, save my little brother busting the foot off his new 300. I’m going to fish my 441, this summer. You should fish yours, too. Who are you saving it ...

I sent Christian a pm, as he posted he had tips for painting that. But, I haven’t heard back. Everybody is busy this time of the year.

Ted

When you guys are repainting a reel, how do you mask the engraved “Mitchell” and the number of the reel? I’ve painted a few cars, and never had to work with a mask of anything that fine.

Thanks!

Ted

Did the 300 need to be retired? Most are just a spare part or two away from being back in service.

Ted

This might be my most pristine Mitchell, to date: https://i.ibb.co/JCvGSkf/F37449-B1-D9-FE-4720-AE6-C-6-DA57051-FB04.jpg Serial number 6230192 puts it in 1965, I believe. Red bumper still there. Smooth as silk. I’ve been going through and servicing my fishing reels, and this one is just as nice insi...

It must have been a bitter disappointment to my brother, and my dad. But, we rode our bikes everywhere, and, stuff happened. My brother replaced the reel with a Mitchell 9000, and, later, a low end Shimano. The Eagle Claw rod the 300 started out life on is still around, but, I find something better ...

Probably around 1978-1980, my brother ponied up and bought a new Mitchell 300, more than likely from Target stores. Target had a pretty good Sporting goods department, at the time, sadly gone, today. Very early on, my brother broke the reel foot off. My Dad had a welder for a neighbor, who tried to ...

Well, I went through my 441, my Dad’s 440, my 301, my Dad’s 300, and little brother’s 300, that had the foot broken of the body about 30 years ago, and sat wrapped in an oily rag in a cabinet in my dad’s shop. I found a used body on the ‘bay, and can now put that reel back in service. That reel has ...

We seem to have a abundance of Teds at the moment... I run synthetics in just about everything, including my reels. I like Mobile 28 and Mystic Full Synthetic. You don’t need a ton, and I think the notion of once a year is right on the money for reels that get used-although a lot of reels here seem ...

It is a blue reel. Nothing special, 1971 build A prefix. But, it is a lefty, and none of my friends will try to borrow it! :banana-angel: I really wanted one in about 1975, but, Target only had right handed 440s, so, I had to wait until a used one showed up. Girls, cars, motorcycles, jobs and other ...

I had some time on Christmas Day to putter in the shop: https://i.ibb.co/xCFcypW/C0-A3-A160-7-E54-4-A3-E-96-D7-EF607-D0-BC4-CC.jpg https://i.ibb.co/t24q0SY/0-FB1-C9-DA-0-CE3-492-F-BD3-B-30530-AD87590.jpg After and before. Why a 50 year old reel doesn’t have any lube inside it is beyond me. It also n...

Thank you for that. I did read, somewhere, that the 331 production was on the order of 8000 or so. I might be looking a while. But, I have other reels to use. I am not really a collector, just a guy who uses what worked for him as a kid. The neighbor kids fished with Zebco stuff, that seemed to most...

Thank you kindly.

Ted

What are the exact differences between a Mitchell 400 and 410 reels? Was the 400 Improved, or, simply renamed?

Many Thanks!

Ted

Thank you! I found a 331 for sale on the ‘bay, in England, but, the bloke apparently isn’t interested in international shipment. Or, responding to messages. Oh, well. I can keep looking. In a pinch I can use a right handed reel, and the 441 and 301 will still be here to use. My Dad’s favorite was hi...

Thank you for the welcome. My Dad had good taste in fishing gear, a further clean out of the old homestead netted (HA! A pun!) two Shakespeare President II baitcasting reels, mounted to Shakespeare boron rods. I’m a bit surprised how few 331 reels are out there. Have to keep looking. A joyous holida...

Let’s start here: https://i.ibb.co/3WDsPYq/00-ED1024-EB1-B-4159-A6-B6-1-F77-B657-EFE8.jpg My Father’s 1960 300, and my own 1974 301. While it appears to be a 301C, it was repaired on a trip to the BWCA when I was a kid, by a tackle shop along the way. The AR lever pin fell out, and I made such a fus...

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