Throw Back Thursday....fishing tackle from my youth

Back in the early 60's I saved up my allowance and bought a Shakespeare telescoping "Wonderod" and paired it with a Mitchell 308. I fished that rod for years and years. The rod failed once I learned to catch bigger fish than it was rated for.  Over the past year have been searching for the exact set-up and finally saw the rod on Ebay and snatched it up. Then bid on a mint (French) Mitchell 308. SCORED !!!

Can't wait to get out and try for some panfish..

I support everything in this thread.

When I'm in freshwater, I'm nearly always fishing something similar: telescoping rod (either the Penguin I bought when I was about 12 or something more modern and ebay'd) and an old mitchell (usually 410 or 408).

Given my signature, this may not come as a surprise.

nice!!!! good score on the throwback setup
 I too saved and bought my first Zebco reel and pole from Grand Auto Stores(they also sold bikes and other toys)......it slayed the planted trout good.

Mitchell 308… ah, the memories! It was the envy of my boyhood fishing buddies.

Hah, that is pretty funny.  When I was a kid I was obsessed with telescoping rods, as if they were the greatest thing ever!  Until I couldn't get them un-stuck, or they wouldn't collapse.    Those Mitchel reels are still awesome though, and I've considered buying a few myself!  Have you checked out the http://www.mitchellreelmuseum.com/ ?

Love the old Mitchell 308's. One of my favorite garage sale scores. Nice retro setup there !

I always thought I was a bad ass as a kid because when I asked my friends what kind of reel they had they just  .
I would pop off saying "I have a Mitchell 308."
It just sounded cool.
Still does...Mitchell 3-0-8.
Also had a Mitchell 324.
Mitchell 3-24...ah the memories.
Nice score Alanzo.

I still have 10-15 old reels that I've scored over the years. #-4 mitchels that still work as well as the day they were new. I have one COOL mitchell that does this 2 step spool lift and drop as you reel. Opened it up to see how they managed it, looked like a work of art in there. Nice find!!!
 

I found an old Mitchell  at the bottom of a Yosemite lake. Cleaned up just fine, but the metal disk that holds the bale  open was rusted away. Had no idea there was so much interest in old Mitchells but anyone know where to get a replacement part for one? 

Find another broken at some other spot Try Mikes...http://www.mikesreelrepair.com/mitchell-parts-c-21_30.html
Otherwise some parts can be found on EBAY...

I still have a few of the 308's.  I think a couple of them are encrusted with Pauske's "Balls Of Fire" though.

I still have 10-15 old reels that I've scored over the years. #-4 mitchels that still work as well as the day they were new. I have one COOL mitchell that does this 2 step spool lift and drop as you reel. Opened it up to see how they managed it, looked like a work of art in there. Nice find!!!
 

Yep, the 408 does this, and both the 302/402 have a three step lift on the spool.  "Planamatic gears" were to blame.  Pretty cool thing to see in action.  If you didn't like that, at least for the bigger salt reels (302/402), you could swap out or modify the planamatic gears for a straight up-n-down crosswind gear.

I found an old Mitchell  at the bottom of a Yosemite lake. Cleaned up just fine, but the metal disk that holds the bale  open was rusted away. Had no idea there was so much interest in old Mitchells but anyone know where to get a replacement part for one?

nice find!

It may also need a bail spring or a trip lever spring. 

Depending on the model, they're usually fairly simple to find on ebay. Also, if you need help identifying the part/or are unable to find one on ebay, the folks at alantani.com are super-helpful with such things.

Beauteous!
Pretty sure I gots a 308 floating around here someplace.

Love my Mitchells. 
Have a box of them, and spare spools for each of the working ones...some still have Stren line from the 80s or 90s on them.  They don't get out much anymore....