Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Canada I bought something for myself for Christmas today

It's a Mitchell 300 Pro reel. I was looking at them at Canadian Tire today.

The original 300 was expensive when I was a kid. I saved up and bought my first one in 1966 or 1967. Seems to me it was $18 or $20, which was outrageously expensive. My dad told me that if I saved up half, he would kick in the rest.

At any rate, the price hasn't risen much in all that time. Crappy Tire wanted $99.99, but I got it for $73.26 from amazon and free shipping . With GST, $82.78, so I saved $30 not buying it at CTC. I got a new Ugly Stik that it will go on.

My grandson and I were in the workshop and he was digging around in my fishing stuff. This is what he found. It is a receipt from Wholesale Sports in 2010 for a Mitchell Avocet reel. I still have it. I bought it as a loaner that I kept in the truck when we went hunting. These days, the grandkids use it.

I wonder where Mitchell reels are made these daze? They were made in France once upon a time.

Still have a couple from the mid-1970's. Good product.

Good fishing Steve, I started with a bait caster , and still use them.

Merry Christmas!, by the way.

Yep

Still have two 300s and a 308. They were great machines.

Congratulations

Thanks all. I remember my dad telling me that Mitchell reels were originally made or designed by a clockmaker.

I know that Mitchell was sold some years ago to Pure Fishing, a division of JWA, in Wisconsin. I sent them an email asking if Mitchell reels are still made in France, and if not, where. I hope they get back to me. I will be disappointed if they tell me that the parts are made in China, and assembled in junks offshore.

I just received this email from Mitchell about the country where the Mitchell 300 is made.

Hello Stephen Redgwell,

Thank you for your email. The reel is made in China.

Kind regards,

JS
Service Experience Coordinator
Pure Fishing Inc

Unlike the older reels which had "Made in France" on them, this new reel did not have the country of origin stamped or embossed onto the reel body. It didn't have a peel off sticker or anything marked on the packaging. It's easy to understand why now. I had my suspicions because my Ugly Stiks are tagged Made in China.

I have a 300; made in France!

I bought myself a handgun. Sorry about your Chinese fishing reel.

Mark

That is the reason that I have bought 3 Mitchell 300's off ebay, then sent them to Dennis at Second Chance Tackle to have them gone through and brought up almost new condition. I also have a 308 and 302 that I purchased when I was younger (back in dinosaur days). I do not need any new reels.

This just goes to show you that have to keep current. The quality of things, who sells them and where they are made, changes over time.

I wish I had my original 300, but it disappeared when I was a teenager. It probably went into the garbage or was given away when I joined the air force.

All the best for 2020 everyone!