What was your first real fishing reel ?

[gwpercle]

When I was a kid, fishing with my dad in a company fishing rodeo, he was casting for bass and I caught a buffalo on my cane pole out the back of the boat. He entered it in the youth division- rough fish and I won a Shakesphere , No.1924MS, Direct Drive , Model EE, casting reel with a 5 foot solid fiberglass rod and real metal tackle box.
I spent hours practicing casting in the yard. Usually I would make a cast , then spend 30 to 45 mins. untangleing the birds nest ( AKA backlash ) ...remember those ?
I got real good untangling line. Now my favorite reels are open-faced spinning reels.
But I still have the Shakesphere and use it occasionaly for old times sake, you never quite get over your first.
Gary

[twotoescharlie]

zebco 33

TTC

[possom813]

Zebco 33

[shredder]

Daiwa Millionaire. I got it when I was 21 and still treasure that reel 26 years later.

[Shooter]

Mine was a Pflueger level wind on a steel rod. "A rod of steel with a bamboo feel" was the slogan.
Used the black draided dacron line. A jitterbug and a flatfish were my only plugs.
Good times!

[jules]

Zebco 33 and a Mitchell 300. Wow was that a long time ago.

[jondavis0904]

as a few others have stated.. Zebco 33

[chsparkman]

I got a Zebco 33 and a Shakespeare automatic fly reel at about the same time. Flyfishing won out very early on and for the last 41 years it's the only fishing I do. I should have stayed with spin fishing to keep more variety in my attack.

[Kull]

Abel Creek 2.

[HighHook]

Penn squider

[tomme boy]

Tin can. Really! I had a cane pool that had a eye on the end. I used a tin can and wrapped the line around it. I could cast it about 25 yds. Caught a lot of fish with that thing.

[dale2242]

Same as shooter.
I`m not sure of the brand but it was a casting reel [not level wind] with some sort of cloth type line on a metal rod. Casting was a nightmare. When the Zebco 33s became available I was in heaven. Bought one right off.
Some of the first spinning reels were not so good. But better than the casting reels.
I now use casting reels except for light fishing.....dale

[fishhawk]

Zebco 202 was the first now I got the Mitchel 300 and a Diawa mini-spin ultralight.

[farmerjim]

Ambassadeur 5000 from Steinbergs sports in Baton Rouge. $25 in their spring sale about 1960.
I still have it and use it with heavy line for Redfish.

[winelover]

Zebco 33 for me. It's still around here somewhere.

Winelover

[Charlie Two Tracks]

Mitchell 301 (left hand). I still have it someplace. It was a good old reel. I use mostly baitcasters now but I do for four spinning also. Love bass fishing.

[Finster101]

Mitchell 301 (left hand). I still have it someplace. It was a good old reel. I use mostly baitcasters now but I do for four spinning also. Love bass fishing.

Yessir, and I still have mine. I won't use it in salt though.

[opos]

Before my Dad went into the cattle business with his Dad at the Denver Stockyards (about 1950) he worked for Humphreys Mining and Gold in Denver as a bookkeeper. A. E. Humphreys (the owner and an avid fisherman and inventor) designed and manufactured a limited number of "Humphreys Spin Reels) which were about the earliest if not the original patent on spin reels. I had always used an old very simple single acton fly reel (no idea what make) and a collapsible steel rod (the picture is of my first carp from the river with the old collapsible rod and the original fly reel (darn...looked like "Opie" in those days).

My Dad gave me one of the Humphreys reels with a rod that I am sure was a fiberglass "spin fly" rod which I used for several years till I got a Mitchell "cap" spinning reel (little brother to the 300 Mitchell..with an open face) and a real glass spinning rod...I've still got the old Humphreys around here someplace...a guy tried really hard to buy it a number of years ago but it's one of those things my Wife can put in the estate sale along with other things I had as a kid. As I recall it wasn't much of a reel to use..looked really nice but not too efficient. It was stainless steel, mounted under the reel seat (like a fly reel on a fly rod) and the line came out the side instead of out of the front...I think other reel manufacturers used this kind of design in the late 40's and early 50's called a spin cast design. Caught a number of those tasty Colorado trout with that old reel.

Attachment 62800

[2thepoint]

mid 1960's......mitchell 300 - made in france IIRC

[MT Gianni]

Mitchell 300, I often used dads but my first was the Mitchell. I have never owned or used growing up a closed face reel.