Mitchell 300

[@Clive]

I agree. Once ABU brought out reels suitable for coarse fishing rather than their earlier reels designed for spinning they took the market. It didn't help that Mitchell had gone down the cost cutting route and made their gears from cheaper metals.

But while this was happening an American tackle dealer went to Japan and asked a bicycle parts manufacturer called Shimano if they could make fishing reels. The rest as they say, is history.

 

[markcw]

Mitchell's such as the Otomatic and I am sure 300's had serial numbers , There is a Mitchell chart on the internet that will give you the years and I think numbers made for that number .
Depending on condition you are possibly look at around £30-£35 for them .
I had a few Match, 300, Otomatic , ended up selling them . The only one I have now is a 3310Z from mid 1970's.

 

[Ray Roberts]

When I upgraded to a 300 it was superb compared to what I had been using previously and most of what was around at the time. I always lusted after one of the Abu’s with the offset drag. Unfortunately as a poorly paid apprentice they were out of my reach. Sometime in the 90’s I saw a couple at a boot fair, a C4and a C5, they weren’t pristine by any means but certainly good users, I can’t remember what I paid, but it wasn’t very much. I used them for a couple of years fishing for chub in some pretty rough terrain and they stood up to it well, and caught me some nice fish too. I’ve just dug the C5 out of my old tackle box and it is still very much a useable reel, not that I would swap it for my current reels.

I bought a couple of Abu bait runners shortly afterwards and that’s about the time the rot set in with ABU reels. The handle wasn’t supported by bearings or metal bushes but by nylon/plastic bushes. Consequently they didn’t last more than a couple of seasons.


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[@Clive]

ABU's last fixed spool reel that was made in Sweden was a two finger gesture to the investment company who had bought that side of ABU intending to make the reels in Asia. The ABU Swedish designers made the ultimate reel. It is called the Suveran, Swedish for Sovreign. After it was launched the bean counters shut them down. The second generation is called the ABU CD and is all cast alloy and plastic.

If you recall SAAB did the same when GM took them over. They didn't follow the cost cutting plans and they made their car better than Opel / Vauxhall bosses intended it to be. You've got to love the Swedes.

Abu Garcia Suveran - AlanHawk.com

www.alanhawk.com

 

[markcw]

ABU's last fixed spool reel that was made in Sweden was a two finger gesture to the investment company who had bought that side of ABU intending to make the reels in Asia. The ABU Swedish designers made the ultimate reel. It is called the Suveran, Swedish for Sovreign. After it was launched the bean counters shut them down. The second generation is called the ABU CD and is all cast alloy and plastic.

If you recall SAAB did the same when GM took them over. They didn't follow the cost cutting plans and they made their car better than Opel / Vauxhall bosses intended it to be. You've got to love the Swedes.

Abu Garcia Suveran - AlanHawk.com

www.alanhawk.com

View attachment 27539

View attachment 27540

Abu also made a brilliant pole of its time called the Suveran, it accounted for some good fish in the northwest . Was a popular pole on the Hotties section of the Sankey canal in St Helens in matches.
Some decent carp along that stretch

 

[Ray Roberts]

ABU's last fixed spool reel that was made in Sweden was a two finger gesture to the investment company who had bought that side of ABU intending to make the reels in Asia. The ABU Swedish designers made the ultimate reel. It is called the Suveran, Swedish for Sovreign. After it was launched the bean counters shut them down. The second generation is called the ABU CD and is all cast alloy and plastic.

If you recall SAAB did the same when GM took them over. They didn't follow the cost cutting plans and they made their car better than Opel / Vauxhall bosses intended it to be. You've got to love the Swedes.

Abu Garcia Suveran - AlanHawk.com

www.alanhawk.com

View attachment 27539

View attachment 27540

Have you fished with it yet Clive?


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[@Clive]

Yes. I bought a Suveran feeder rod for eighty quid and use it on that. It is the only reel that I wipe my hands of ground bait on a towel before casting.

It is super smooth and feels very solid, but I haven't had to rely on the drag yet.

I will have it with me tomorrow.