Modified Mitchell Reels

  Distance & Accuracy Competition

By: Bill Burke                                                                                                                                              Part 4  

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About the Author: Bill is a resident of Paris, Kentucky and was elected to the Hall of Fame of the American Casting Association (ACA). He has been selected to the United States Casting Team having competed in nine (9) ICSF World Casting Championships. He is the current ACA record holder in the Seniors Distance Plugs Combination event which comprises the total distance cast in feet for the 2-Hand 5/8oz Spinning Distance event, the 2-Hand 5/8oz Revolving Distance event, and the 1/4oz 1-Hand Spinning Distance event. He is a National Champion many times over in the ACA Senior Division. While he is not a machinist by profession, he has been machining custom distance spools and manual pickups for tournament distance casters for over 40 years.   

Many Mitchell reel collectors have been led to believe that the Mitchell reel with the added intermediate gear was manufactured for the left handed professional caster. In truth, it was manufactured for right hand casters only. I am pleased to see that Dennis Roberts addresses this issue in his article “Mitchell’s Wedding Cake Tournament Reel, Part 2” listed on this website. Here Dennis gives a very clear and accurate description of the importance of the distance caster’s selection of the proper reel depending on whether or not he/she is right handed or left handed.   

Confusion is added by the fact that eBay sellers and collectors describe the Mitchell 301 as a reel for the left handed caster. This description has nothing to do with the way line is spooled or comes off the reel during the cast. It only means it is held in the left hand and cranked with the right hand. For example, in distance casting, the Mitchell 301 is used by the right hand caster.   

I am aware that the true purist Mitchell collector wants only factory original reels, but the main reason the aftermarket existed was so that distance casters could have access to various top quality Mitchell reels in order to make the necessary conversions to a competitive caster.   

Being a competitive tournament distance caster for over 45 years, I have seen the many ways that right handed casters, having no access to the older tournament reels with the intermediate gear, longer shaft and conic spools, have adapted.   

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