GARCIA MITCHELL 402

High Speed Salt Water Reel

By: Ed Scharf

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This article is a documentary of the first version Mitchell 402 Salt Water spinning reel.  It includes information about the Mitchell 402 and documentation of its history. I would like to thank Dan Hawks, fellow Mitchell reel collector and Mitchell historian, for helping me with the historical information presented here.  

The Mitchell Salt Water Reels

Carpano & Pons of Cluses, France began manufacturing the Mitchell “Salt Water” spinning reel about 1951.  It was larger but similar to the popular “Mitchell” (300) spinning reel and designed for ocean surf fishing.  In the early years there was no model number designation, only the inscription “Salt Water”.  In 1956, the salt water reel was designated model number 302.  The 302 was painted black and had a gear ratio of approximately 4 to 1.  The Mitchell 302 was quite popular during that period and was known to be very well made and durable when used in salt water.  It was also used for heavy fresh water fishing.  The model 302 reels that were imported into the United States were designated “Garcia” on the reel as the Garcia Corporation was the sole importer of Mitchell reels to the United States.

In 1964, Garcia began advertising a “high speed” version of the Model 302.  It was called the model 402 Salt Water.  The 402 had a gear ratio of approximately 5 to 1.  Like the 302, it was a large reel, weighing 19-1/2 ounces.  It was painted a dark blue-green color referred to by many collectors as “Midnight Blue”.  The 402 was marketed from 1964 through 1977.  Mitchell referred to the 402 as the “King of Saltwater Reels”.

Marketing advertisements for the 402 first began in 1964.  The ad shown to the left appeared in the 1964 Garcia Fishing Annual Catalog.

Actual production of the 402 started before 1964, possibly as early as 1962.  The Garcia Corporation began importing the 402 into the United States in the second half of 1963.  According to factory records, during the production years from 1963 through 1977, there were approx, 189,313 Mitchell 402 mfg.

Over the course of manufacturing, various improvements / modifications were made to the reel proper. These changes were minor and encompassed the reel body, handle, and materials used in construction.

It is difficult to pin down the dates of manufacture of the “402 Salt Water.” Serial numbers were not conclusive for accurate dating.  It appears that the Model 302 and 402 reels were sequentially numbered as a group. This makes it even more difficult to determine the date of issue. Read more