Chipping away at the backlog of reel work and shipping.
A little each day.
Have a good member who wanted some old Left-Hand Mitchells.
One of the reels had the foot filed and cut to fit a rod sometime in the past. So I told him I would replace the frame at no charge.
After getting into it this morning —- realized it would be like putting shiny new wheels on a rusted old clunker.
So replaced everything except maybe 10 parts with new parts out of the bins. Exterior, interior, bail, screws, spool, spool shaft, crosswind block, all screws, springs, crank knob & handle, and more.
Kept the price the same. N/C.
Just didn't want it leaving the bench with anything gouged, chipped, or questionable —- either cosmetic or mechanical.
Metal spool, simple & functional reels —- neat to fish.
Basically a new reel.
Lots of fun to do these.
Best, Fred
Fred,
I was planning on fishing that one but it looks like you may have transformed into a shelfie. My first real reel after the intro to fishing Zebco 22 was a 304, good reel but not so cool as the boomerang 300's that the other members of my bicycle fishing mafia crew were sporting. My "reel" envy dissipated when it dawned on me the it wasn't the arrows it was the archer, a life lesson that has served me well, thanks to that little 304.
I never knew, until much later in life, that there were odd numbered Mitchells, Penns etc with the handle on the wrong side, made just for we lefties. I had become automatically adept at the cast over my left shoulder and switching hands on the rod to be reeling back while the lure was in the air with the spinners.
I suppose it should have dawned on me that a right hand crank spinner would be a good idea after dad moved us to the island and I learned to drive Surfmasters and Squidders with the cranking handles on the "ahem" correct side.
Again if you have any handle that would work on a 704 please throw it in the box. You had commented in a PM about correct colors, forget it. This one is ugly as hell on the outside perfect on the inside, just the opposite of the "new improved" throwaways these days, so anything with the correct thread is fine.
Looking forward to the box.
Bob
Nice! A old CAP body.
Where are all the Fred-like perfectionists in this day and age? Well some of them are on this site for sure...
My latest experience with the contractor that the landlord hired, was that he got the lights installed right, but I found hardware scattered around the house that he failed to check for.
that reel is looking beautiful..
I have an old round Mitchell, overhauled it last year planning to fish it, never found the time to get out and use it.. did get a couple of South Bend splitcane spinning rods to try it on ;-)