MITCHELL SALT WATER REELS

© Copyright - Tim Barton 2006

All pictures are thumb nailed - click to enlarge

FIRST VERSION OF THE 302

(Revised 6-2006) No picture for this one. Not one hundred percent sure they exist as no person I have spoken with has actually seen one. I have seen only an artists rendition of one. Unlike the second version which uses the familiar four screw side plate, the first version was alleged to have only two screws holding the cover on. It was also a finger pickup or half bail type reel. If somebody has a picture or any knowledge of this reel they would like to share, please send it this way. Would also like to know when this critter came out - 1950-51? Perhaps it was only a prototype?

SECOND VERSION

I believe the second version came out about 1952. Like the first it sports a half bail and an aluminum anti-reverse lever. It has been my experience that this is no easy reel to find. While the first version is super rare the second must be extremely rare as well. If I am not mistaken, I saw one of these on EBAY within the past year and I believe it may have even been in the original box. Never the less this reel is a great find in any condition.

THIRD VERSION 

As far as I know this is a third version and to the best of my knowledge was produced prior to 1955. It has an aluminum anti-reverse lever, full bail, and the Garcia decal on the side plate. There are few 302 reels out there with the aluminum AR lever, so if you run across one you want to grab it. An interesting thing about this reel as well as the next one, is that the bail arm or bail mount (as Mitchell referred to it), is slightly longer than later versions and does not possess a rubber stopper or bumper.

I really don't know if this should be considered a variation on the third version or is in fact a fourth version. Dennis Roberts (for whom I have infinite respect as a writer and researcher) pictures a similar reel that he calls a third version in his Mitchell Collector's Reference Guide. I believe one difference between his reel and mine, is that this reel has the little metal tab, known as an anti-inertia brake attached to the side plate screw under the lube port. Perhaps some of you collectors can help shed some light on the version issue. The bail trip lever is definitely different from the reel above although the bail mount appears to be identical. 

EARLY BLUE BOX

This is an example of an early 1950s reel in the standard blue box. Early on, all 302s came in boxes similar to this version. Notice the sale price of $37.50; a bit pricey for the time.

LEFTY MODEL

This is an early left handed version designated the 303. While the number designation can be found on the box in which these early models were packaged, the number did not appear on the side plate until around 1956 or so. Notice the upside-down lettering on the side plate and the red cardboard box it came in. Although you can't tell from these pictures, the bail mount has a rubber stopper on it.

LATER VERSIONS

I am not going to try and guess which version this is, however, I believe it is one that came out about 1958. It is different from it's predecessors in a couple of ways. One, it has a heavily knurled knob on the handle that is also slotted. By loosening the knob you can rotate the handle 180 degrees for storage. My guess as to why the heavy knurling and slot were added is that these knobs gets stuck at times and are very hard to turn. Another major difference is the webbing at the base of the foot stem for added strength, a modification first seen about 1956. This particular reel has the Garcia name engraved into the side plate, a sign of latter models.

This was the last of the Mitchell 302s. It came in a one piece cardboard box and has no red lube port plug. I believe the last year of production for the 302 was 1974.  

302 X (HAS ALL THE EXTRAS)

This reel can be seen in the 1964 Garcia Annual on page 106. The 302X came with extra items, such as an extra spool, tube of grease, and a combination tool that could be used to perform a take-down and reassembly. The red box top is rather unique and I know of only a few that exist. The more common "X" box was a two piece black top, red bottom cardboard affair. All 302X reels are very collectable. I should note that the reel itself is the same as others manufactured during the same period. It is the box and accessories that make this a unique and interesting find. The last and only red box version  I saw on EBAY went for over $200 a number of years ago. Black boxes seem much more common but are still quite rare.

THE 302 THAT WASN'T (MITCHELL 302N)

According to the Garcia Annual, 1975 would have been the year the 302N was introduced for the first time. Why Garcia discontinued the 302, I am not sure. Perhaps it was cost of production given that the 302 is a more mechanically complex reel than the 302N. The 302N and the 386 which came out about 1969 are identical aside from the model designation engraved into the side plate. The 302N is slightly larger and weighs a few ounces more than the older 302, however, according to the Garcia literature line capacity is the same. This reel is easier to disassemble and service than the older 302 and is not a bad reel to fish. That said, I still prefer the older 302s.