They were good reels in their day, and the line wrapping around the spindle was a common fault of most reels back then. Once skirted spools came along, the old Mitchells fell behind the rest. Right at the end of the 300's life in 1982 the 300S came out with a skirted spool that addressed the problem, and it was a brilliant reel, but rear drag reels were all the rage by then, and after a few more years the 300 disappeared.
Mitchell 300
- Thread starter TrickyD
- Start date
I had 2 300's and an 840 (I think, which was a high speed version of the 810?)
The 300s weren't great tbh, but I can't recall how they compared to anything else around at the time. The infamous Mitchell Bail Arm flap was common (although 40 years later I still have the same issue with a Drennan reel!)
I think I wanted an Abu Cardinal at the time but couldn't afford it.
I then got bought an 840 match with auto bail arm and loved it. It was probably a bit too fast a retrieve for its own good, but all my float fishing was shared between the Mitchell and a closed face Abu 501.
The 300s were demoted to ledgering duties and my brief play with carp fishing.
I still have the 840, although it's looking very worse for wear (probably like its owner ?)
The 300s weren't great tbh, but I can't recall how they compared to anything else around at the time. The infamous Mitchell Bail Arm flap was common (although 40 years later I still have the same issue with a Drennan reel!)
I think I wanted an Abu Cardinal at the time but couldn't afford it.
I then got bought an 840 match with auto bail arm and loved it. It was probably a bit too fast a retrieve for its own good, but all my float fishing was shared between the Mitchell and a closed face Abu 501.
The 300s were demoted to ledgering duties and my brief play with carp fishing.
I still have the 840, although it's looking very worse for wear (probably like its owner ?)
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I had a silver 300 a good few years back, I think it was a special anniversary edition, I didn't get much use as by then the early shimano's had started to appear in the shops and they were so much better than anything else that was about at the time. Consequently all of the mitchells apart from a couple of 440's got consigned to the back of the garage. Then I had a bit of a soft spot for DAM Finnessa's and those early Shimano's joined the mitchells......all gone now apart from the pair of 440's
810 was 'fixed' bail arm and 840 finger dab'auto' bail arm. I only used Auto - Match and 440A - as the line wound the wrong way round and hit the finger wrong. Like you I wished I bought ABU cardinals with skirted spools (50/55 I think) . But they were for carp anglers.................
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I gave mine to my daughter in law for her car boot stall for a cancer hospice, along with 300's , closed faced abus, told her what too ask for the reels so she didnt get ripped off.
I paid a fiver for the Otomatic from Cash Generators, and £12 for a Shakespeare box with top box and octoplus legs,
I more or less ran out of the shop in case they realised they had priced to low ?
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auto bail arms were fine
until you tapped them while playing a fish
until you tapped them while playing a fish
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- Aug 24, 2015
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I had Intrepids to start followed by Mitchells 300/410/308/408/match which were replaced with Cardinal 44x or 4x replaced by stradics in the 1990s but most of my current reels are Daiwa.but I still use the close face reels I had since the 1980s
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- Feb 2, 2017
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Never had any problems with a Mitchell normal bale or auto.
You are a load of nobs.
Death to the unbelievers.
You are a load of nobs.
Death to the unbelievers.
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My 300 is still going strong. Well used as you can see, but it's never let me down yet....
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In the early to mid 80s, I'd have given a testicle for a Mitchell Match or 300. By the time I had enough of my own money to afford one, times had changed and I wouldn't have dreamt of spending good money on one. However, I doubt anyone bettered the auto bail system. The auto bail Daiwa certainly didn't, despite its amazing production longevity. I can still easily understand why long term users are so faithful to them. It must be very difficult to adapt to a reel that rotates the "wrong" way after decades of using Mitchells. I know I'd struggle to adapt to Mitchells after years of using reels that rotate the other way.
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Chris ,I have one of the Daiwa 1657 auto system, had it since they first came out,
I cant fault it, Mind you all my other reels are 80's / 90's shimano, Last reels I bought were a shimano nasci, and a Preston inceion 4000.
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I had one that I got in the late 80s. I hated it then and I hated it until I chucked it out a couple of years ago. It put me off buying Daiwa reels for decades.
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I bought the 120m closed face around late 80's used it in a match and after 3 or 4 fish ,the release mechanism for the line stopped working, Sortedcthat when got home, tried it out again at later date, and line started bedding in for some reason. The reel went to a mate after that.
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That is a fine photo of not just an icon but a well engineered and superbly designed machine.My 300 is still going strong. Well used as you can see, but it's never let me down yet....
Others will say different, take no notice, they are mangy dogs.
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So did I, paid a fiver for it from Cash Generators. It went to a good cause though.along with other Mitchell's and abu 506 Daughter in laws car boot stall in aid of cancer hospice. Priced them up for her so she didnt get ripped off.
Remember buying two 300’s and a 440 match and thinking I would never need to buy another reel,and then Miss Daiwa and Miss Shimano turned up in their sexy black, red and gold outfits, started an affair that’s lasted for over 30 years.
Don’t miss the feeling of a Mitchell bail arm twatting my cold fingers (proper winters back then) like a bloody rat trap.
Never seen line lay like the Mitchells though , dead flat every time.
Can‘t forget the glow I got fitting my 440 to a 12 ft DAM Carboron Match, deadly combination for silvers even now I would think, good rod but it locked up with anything really tasty, useless now on any commercial. Have to say no items of tackle have quite equalled that feeling since.
Don’t miss the feeling of a Mitchell bail arm twatting my cold fingers (proper winters back then) like a bloody rat trap.
Never seen line lay like the Mitchells though , dead flat every time.
Can‘t forget the glow I got fitting my 440 to a 12 ft DAM Carboron Match, deadly combination for silvers even now I would think, good rod but it locked up with anything really tasty, useless now on any commercial. Have to say no items of tackle have quite equalled that feeling since.
