Morespiders
Senior Member
And old Mitchel 300s and 410s, that have been looked after, I have about 6 pairs of different Shimano baitrunners and also a few Daiwa big pits, but if i can get away with it my Mitchels come first
Ian Gemson
Well-known member
Morespiders you really need to get out more. Take off those rose tinted glasses and smell the coffe. LOL Those old Mitchel 300's and 410's with their weak bail arm return springs and cruchy grindy gears that moan like a cat being run over if you cast across the Thames more than three times a day and clutches thatjust pretend to be a clutch belong in the scrap yard.
I bet you dont drive around in a 1970 's car and rant about how good they are !!! No YOu dont LOL leave the old reels where they belong in the garage on the shelf with all the other outdated fishing equipment.
Tight Lines
I bet you dont drive around in a 1970 's car and rant about how good they are !!! No YOu dont LOL leave the old reels where they belong in the garage on the shelf with all the other outdated fishing equipment.
Tight Lines
Morespiders
Senior Member
Sorry Ian, I fish with finesse, that to me is one of the pleasures of fishing,I know when and where to use them, when needed I use the big, ugly, and clumsy reels.
I dont know how old you are Ian, but I would bet I have a pair of Mitchel's as old as you, or as near as damit, my last three 30lb carp came on them too, plus one and three quarter Harrisons, and eight pound line,thats style, much better than the modern winch, and brush handles.
My tackle fits into my Ford Anglia no problem its brilliant, no tax.
My lines are always tight/forum/smilies/nerd_smiley.gif
I dont know how old you are Ian, but I would bet I have a pair of Mitchel's as old as you, or as near as damit, my last three 30lb carp came on them too, plus one and three quarter Harrisons, and eight pound line,thats style, much better than the modern winch, and brush handles.
My tackle fits into my Ford Anglia no problem its brilliant, no tax.
My lines are always tight/forum/smilies/nerd_smiley.gif
Ian Gemson
Well-known member
Obviously Respect is Due.
I have unfortunatly lost my original Mithchell 300A (First mitchel match) and regret Mitchel changing the design of their reels and using plastic bearing rather than bronze ones. Ands all my Mitchel matches 300's and 410's
I would also just like to add that not all carp angler have to use big pits everywhere they go!.
I happen to have 5000 XTE-A's, 10000 XTE-A's, baby big pits Ultegras Power aeros, and Basias Etc Etc They all are used as when required dependant upon the situation I am facing.
In fact Ihave had many many of my biggest carp on an Old Alcocks Aerial canter pin margin fishing Ohand yes I am Old LOL.
Tight Lines
I have unfortunatly lost my original Mithchell 300A (First mitchel match) and regret Mitchel changing the design of their reels and using plastic bearing rather than bronze ones. Ands all my Mitchel matches 300's and 410's
I would also just like to add that not all carp angler have to use big pits everywhere they go!.
I happen to have 5000 XTE-A's, 10000 XTE-A's, baby big pits Ultegras Power aeros, and Basias Etc Etc They all are used as when required dependant upon the situation I am facing.
In fact Ihave had many many of my biggest carp on an Old Alcocks Aerial canter pin margin fishing Ohand yes I am Old LOL.
Tight Lines
Poshpaul (Angling Trust and PaSC)
Moderator
Ian...I have seen inside the Spiders web! I've actually never seen him use anything other than his Mitchells which he uses with aplomb.....perhaps if he used them with abait he'd catch something
hat, coat
hat, coat
Ian Gemson
Well-known member
Posh LOL nice
The bad one
Well-known member
Well it's5 years on, so I thought it was time for an update on the performance of the reels.
Do I still have them and use them? Yes!
They have been used every week at least twice a week since I bought them.
Mechanically how are they?
Still very good,very little wobble in the handle driveshaft, or the head section bearings. Although onone of them the ratchet metal spring has gone on the baitrunner. Not a great problem, the baitrunner still works, Just doesn't click as the spool runs free.
The playing clutch is still as smooth as the day I bought them. No problems with the bailarms whatsoever.
Aesthetics -paintwork. This is still reasonable on the body section but the plastic chrome cover plates where the bailarm springs are housed, have worn and are now an off white colour of the plastic they are made of.
How much work have they really done?
As I've said, they are used at least twice a week, every week, more so in the winter as I exclusively fish the rivers where they are the only reels I use. On theRibble and particularly during the winter in heavy water they are casting and retrieving weights of up to 6 oz from 35 yards out across the powerfulflow. So they've been worked very hard in the 5 years I've had them.
Overall view of them?
They have, and continue to be one hell of winch, at a realistic price, that have perform robustly beyond expectations at all times. Even after one of them spent3 days residing at the bottom of the Ribble, due to being dragged in by a passing tree whilst landing a fish on the other rod and reel. Whilst thechrome on the cover plates could be better, it's something I can live with!
Will I buy Okumas again?
Yes! But I doubt that I'll need to replace this pair for the foreseeable future.......Looking forward to giving youthe 10 year review/forum/smilies/big_smile_smiley.gif
Do I still have them and use them? Yes!
They have been used every week at least twice a week since I bought them.
Mechanically how are they?
Still very good,very little wobble in the handle driveshaft, or the head section bearings. Although onone of them the ratchet metal spring has gone on the baitrunner. Not a great problem, the baitrunner still works, Just doesn't click as the spool runs free.
The playing clutch is still as smooth as the day I bought them. No problems with the bailarms whatsoever.
Aesthetics -paintwork. This is still reasonable on the body section but the plastic chrome cover plates where the bailarm springs are housed, have worn and are now an off white colour of the plastic they are made of.
How much work have they really done?
As I've said, they are used at least twice a week, every week, more so in the winter as I exclusively fish the rivers where they are the only reels I use. On theRibble and particularly during the winter in heavy water they are casting and retrieving weights of up to 6 oz from 35 yards out across the powerfulflow. So they've been worked very hard in the 5 years I've had them.
Overall view of them?
They have, and continue to be one hell of winch, at a realistic price, that have perform robustly beyond expectations at all times. Even after one of them spent3 days residing at the bottom of the Ribble, due to being dragged in by a passing tree whilst landing a fish on the other rod and reel. Whilst thechrome on the cover plates could be better, it's something I can live with!
Will I buy Okumas again?
Yes! But I doubt that I'll need to replace this pair for the foreseeable future.......Looking forward to giving youthe 10 year review/forum/smilies/big_smile_smiley.gif
Interesting reading.
Would someone pleasebe able to tell me how the sizing of these reels works? I have (wash my mouth out!) some old Shimano 6010's and they are fantastic and still going strong all these years later, but I could also use a smaller pair of reels, so am tempted by the Okumas.
I would use them for lake and river work, so a baitrunner would be ideal. Can anyone please give me some reccomendations? I would also use them (or one of them rather) when I rarely do some canal work. BasicallyI need an alrounder.....
Any ideas would be welcome.
Many thanks,
Richard.
Would someone pleasebe able to tell me how the sizing of these reels works? I have (wash my mouth out!) some old Shimano 6010's and they are fantastic and still going strong all these years later, but I could also use a smaller pair of reels, so am tempted by the Okumas.
I would use them for lake and river work, so a baitrunner would be ideal. Can anyone please give me some reccomendations? I would also use them (or one of them rather) when I rarely do some canal work. BasicallyI need an alrounder.....
Any ideas would be welcome.
Many thanks,
Richard.