What was your first real fishing reel ?

[GoodOlBoy]

old gold-ish colored shakespeare spin-cast that looked like a spinning reel with a closed faced and a button on the butt. Bought it for a nickle at a garage sale when I was six so i would have my own reel. Guy throwed in a 4' metal fishing rod. Lost the rig in the Neches river a couple years later. It was replaced by a garage sale zebco 202 or 404, I don't remember which, on a diawa rod for $1. The next year a 20lb catfish destroyed the reel, and snapped the rod, but he tasted good fried up. That's when I bought a brand new zebco 33 (old model with all metal guts) and a brand new rhino rod from a local wal-mart before anybody ever even heard of a super center or super store. Still have that rig. It has caught enough fish to sink a aircraft carrier many times over. I have had dozens of rods and reels over the years since that old 33 was bought new. I still have the old 33 and still use it. Most of those bought since are long since gone, or given away to a good home.

GoodOlBoy

[William Yanda]

Can't tell you the brand, but my Uncle gave me a good quality bait casting reel when I was about 10. You are so right about the backlash. In the middle fifties I had never heard of closed or open face spinning reels or even monofilament. I grew up in on 40 acres that had a spring fed pond, stocked with brook trout. 8 inch brookies, fried in a little bacon grease make a fine breakfast!

[bassnbuck]

Dad bought two mitchel 300`s in about 1957, one for me and one for him. I still have both, just wish I had him.

[Bad Water Bill]

Like mine (purchased the same year) I bet them puppies both say "MADE IN FRANCE".

[bassnbuck]

Bill, yes they say made in France. They both still work just like they always did. Hard to say that about too many things.

[Engineer1911]

In July 1975, I bought a Mitchell 300 with solid brass gears and a rod of similar quality / price. Still have the rod and reel ready for a second "bucket list" fishing trip in Canada, but not the wife.

[GhostHawk]

My grandfather visited Germany back in the late 50's, came home with 2 Mitchell 300's and a pair of Automatic Fly Reels and rods to match all around. We didn't do much fly fishing, but just as the sun got low if you were anchored up in a quiet little cove you could hook and land some awesome sized bluegill on popping bugs.
Now a big hand sized bluegill cutting circles in the water at the end of a 9 foot fly rod is a hand full for a 6 year old. But man did we love it.

So I started on the fly rod, moved on to the Mitchel. Was given a Zebco 202 for my 14th birthday. But I could not wait until I could get back to open faced spinning rods.

Those early years (I was 5, and small for my age) Grandpa taught me to row, slow, smooth and quiet. So he could stand up in the front casting a Shannon Twin Spinner Yellow Bucktail lure. Then after he'd caught a couple we would find a cove, start popping for gills. Come full dark we'd up anchor and he'd start the 22 horse Scott Engine and we'd cruise for home. Fish to clean aftwards of course, but then their would be fresh gills for supper with fried taters and greens. The grownup's would have a highball with theirs. I swear my taste for bourbon comes from me sneaking a sip now and then. Smell that smell, and taste good bourbon and coke, takes me right back. I can smell the gills in cornmeal frying, and the taters. Smiles on the faces all around.

Those were the days. He was quite the character my grandfather, John Robert Cain.

Saw action in the big WWI, caught a touch of gas in the trenches and was invalided out. At some point after that he healed up and joined the navy, went to China. Served his term and ended up joining the Border Patrol. Spent 2 years in Presido, then transfered to El Paso. Mom grew up there, Dad was down there in the army at the tail end of WWII.
Grandpa tried to sign back up with the Army for WWII, said he knew how to do what needed doing. They said no, go back to El Paso and keep our borders safe here at home.

He was a crack shot, had a .38 special in a heavy frame, 6" barrel. And I saw him put 5 rounds you could cover with a silver dollar at 25 yards. That old southern gentlemen had the softest kindest blue eye's you ever saw. Until he picked up a gun and looked down the sights. Then they were like old glacial ice, gray, and hard, and totally uncaring.

I miss him. John Robert, we'll be along in our own time.

[Vann]

Zebco 202

[Point-Man]

As a kid I had to use my fathers bait cast reel. I untangled back lash more than I fished. My first reel was a zebco 33. I had it for about 35 years. Took my youngest son fishing at the city park and he left it unattended. A bass or catfish got it.

[TCLouis]

Started out with a used Zebco 33.
Pop Piller had it, Dad bought it with all his gear when died.
Dad used it tilhe bought a new on and it was passed on to my brother.
He used it til he went with a Mitchell 408 so then it was mine

Then I moved up to Mitchell 300 (made in France, think I still have the case some place), then on to Mitchell Garcia 408.

LONG time ago.

Had a Johnson 33 as an extra in those times also.

Still have them all

And my Dad's Pfleuger baitcaster.

Wish I still had that old steel "bait casting rod that I started with.

[JSnover]

Zebco 202. Dad always kept a couple on hand. Last summer my mom passed away and I found one, new in the box while we were cleaning out her house.

[popper]

A cheap Johnson closed faced rig that lasted like 20 fish, then a cheap open face rig that lasted about 2 yrs. Then a garcia 3000 & mitchell 300. I think the gears in the 300 finally stripped out.

[Harter66]

My Dad and I still have all of the gear from when I was a kid . Garcia rods and Mitchell 300s.

[Engineer1911]

Mitchell 300 in 1975 after I got out of the air force, still have that reel and it just came back from a Canadian fishing trip. I owned several $5 to $10 specials that went in the garbage when I got the Mitchell.

[Rattlesnake Charlie]

Zebco 202. Dad had great intentions, but his luck with farming didn't do so well. Still miss him.

[chsparkman]

Zebco 202 when I was six (1966). My first fly reel was a Mitchell 710 automatic at age eleven (1971). It still works great and I used it again this past summer in Colorado.

[Traffer]

Shakespere 2062. A darn good open face for the day. It cost $37.50 in 1968.

[JWFilips]

J.C. Higgins & come to think of it that was my first bike!

[bdicki]

Mitchell 308

[pworley1]

Zebco 33