I'm sure anyone checking out this forum is not only a classic glass rod fan, but also they are a classic reel fan.  There is another discussion forum that you should be aware of The Mitchell Reels Forum.  The forum is devoted to classic Mitchell spinning reels.  There is a heavy emphasis on collecting, but also on fishing with them.  For the do-it-yourself fisherman, there is a great section on servicing Mitchell reels.

https://www.mitchellreelmuseum.com/forum/

For the glass fanatic, there is a forum devoted to Garcia Conolon and Narmco rods.  Their forum is well worth checking out.

Tom

(the latest and greatest link as of 11/21/19)

Tom, I appreciate that. Wasn't aware and will check it out.

I also joined. lots of info. I am a Mitchell guy from way back. Love them. 400s with 5 to 1 gears. Great for plugging.

OK... Can you put 408 innards in a 308 and have a 408? Thanks.

I'd forgotten I posted this. Thanks for your response.

RVC

So I bought a 408 and now I'm afraid to clean it. I'm pretty aggressive with fly reels and even take apart the occasional double gun but I just don't know a thing about spinning reels. I had one of those uptight, 20 year "fly fishing only" delusions . . .

Anyway, it looks like there are some good videos on YouTube showing 308 disassembly as well as a 408 schematic floating around online. Will that get me through? In other words, is the 408 just a 308 with different gearing so that I can use the video as a guide without too much interpretation?

I'm pretty excited to get this rig out - I also bought a Cargem Mignon ultralight (and I mean ultra!) and have dug out all my lures from childhood. It'll be fun to hike into the little mountain lakes that have frustrated me with their limited backcast room and wreak havoc with all the stuff I compulsively accumulated as a youngster. I particularly look forward to drinking beer while fishing, which appears to be one of the main benefits of spinning gear. I need to look into bobbers and folding chairs . . .

Do any of you guys make wood plugs? I've turned some for a friend who chases stripers and am toying with the idea of making some trout sized ones . . . seems like they'd be appropriate for the old gear.

Thanks,
Chip

I made plugs too, along with jigs with heads made from lead that I melted on the kitchen stove. Nice idea on the diving lips; cassettes were a long ways from invention in my youth! I just whittled the plugs out of cedar, and carved in a hollow for the eyelet to give it a little dive and wobble. Never could get the hollow symmetrical, though, so the wobble was always eccentric. The pickerel didn't mind.

Well it sounds like I need to get my courage up, grab some screwdrivers and dive in - thanks for the encouragement guys!

I'd be interested to see some of your trout plugs. The stuff I've been working on is a lot of fun but nothing for a trout stream. It would be great to make lures I can use.

Thanks,
Chip

The former Mitchell Reel Museum website has generated malware notices recently.

If you are looking for it, I believe the website has been relocated to: https://mitchellreels.ourboard.org/

This new location does not generate the malware notices.

--
Rick

This is the current link to the MRM Forum:
https://www.mitchellreelmuseum.com/forum/

Aside from reels, the Forum also has a rods section, Conolon & Narmco Rods Discussion:
https://www.mitchellreelmuseum.com/forum/viewforum.php?f=90&sid=a0921a9351d84550863fd1f86a634b13
However, the rods section does not have much participation.

You can read text without registering, but registration is required to be able to see the vast majority of images (uploaded to the site, not an external image host).

John

Since I fished through the gears in my 300 in four high school falls of jetty Spanish macks, I've been less than generous to the marque.

Though I have a couple of nice ones, including 410 with aftermarket alloy spool, and 440 (in the masthead photo), which is the only 70s Mitchell that would function in manual bail.
I've always wanted to tinker an 810 or 910, but never could prioritize the cabbage before the market blew up.

New in 1972, bro

well, they were Smacks, but yes, we caught doubles on spec rigs.
A king would spool a Mitchell 300, but Spanish macks hit like a freight train and make hard, short runs.

Here's one on fly rod, TS250, 15s countdown, rod grip under arm pit, double-hand chernobyl strip


It was kings that ended my Penn 4400SS with long-winded runs and high drag set.