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Post 04 Aug 2020, 13:55 • #1 
Guide
Joined: 06/21/20
Posts: 141
Been tying into some nice gills and shellcrackers the last few days. Recently added a 60s vintage Garcia Conolon 2121 five foot long UL rod to the line up. Paired it with a Mitchell 309 (left-handed 308, yea, I'm one of those). This combo was recommended in the Garcia catalogs of the era. Must have been a sweet set up to have back then and sure is fun to use today!



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Post 04 Aug 2020, 18:08 • #2 
Sport
Joined: 11/09/18
Posts: 33
Location: Beaver, PA
Fun for sure! I have my grandpa's old 5' Conolon and it's a blast. Those are some nice sized gills too!


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Post 04 Aug 2020, 18:48 • #3 
Glass Fanatic
Joined: 07/11/14
Posts: 1784
Location: urban Colorado
very nice..
I have a new-to-me Garcia 2503 UL, just fixed it up with some new guides, need to take it fishing.. have my bought-new Mitchell 308 from 1974 to put on it..


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Post 04 Aug 2020, 23:27 • #4 
Guide
Joined: 06/21/20
Posts: 141
I was looking for a 2503 when I came across the 2121. Wanted a longer rod. But this little guy is working out nicely and I have several other 5.5, 6 and 6.5 UL fiberglass rods.


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Post 05 Aug 2020, 06:40 • #5 
Piscator
Joined: 08/10/05
Posts: 19078
Location: downtown Bulverde, Texas
fun outing, fun photos, and great outfit.
I've mentioned before Conolon spinning rods stand above all their contemporaries - combination of the right taper and light in hand.
The only venerable rod I found that beats them is an H-I Star.
Even Phillipson, with perfect tapers, the rods are heavy.


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Post 05 Aug 2020, 10:34 • #6 
Guide
Joined: 06/21/20
Posts: 141
I have three Conolons now, two lights and the UL above. I have two Wright & McGill ULs. I'll have to do a side-by-side comparison one of these days.

What is the model on your blue Conolon shown?

2508 and Mitchell 301 in action.


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Post 05 Aug 2020, 11:29 • #7 
Piscator
Joined: 08/10/05
Posts: 19078
Location: downtown Bulverde, Texas
the blue Conolon is a bass and light inshore jewel



not a great photo - a friend's daughter with a rat red on Lighthouse Lakes - that rod and Penn 716

My girls, our friends girls, all grew up together with a coast ritual - dinner at Cap'n Benny's, and fish sunset for an hour or so from Fulton Beach Pier, followed by ice cream. This rod was one of the standard in the rotation, along with the H-I Star.


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Post 05 Aug 2020, 11:33 • #8 
Guide
Joined: 06/21/20
Posts: 141
Very nice! I have one of the Penns awaiting resto.

These old rods have some beautiful details one them.





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Post 05 Aug 2020, 13:00 • #9 
Sport
Joined: 11/09/18
Posts: 33
Location: Beaver, PA
Conolon colors like that baby blue are amazing. Between that and the Avocado colors, I can't think of too many more fun looking vintage outfits.


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Post 05 Aug 2020, 15:06 • #10 
Piscator
Joined: 08/10/05
Posts: 19078
Location: downtown Bulverde, Texas
The reel I show on the rod (also on the rod in the masthead photo) is a Mitchell 440 - I have that and a 410, both with that dark navy blue color that matches great with the powder blue rods. The boxed 440 has never been fished, though I lined it for that photo. The 410 is by far my choice Mitchell, with 408 a close second. Also have my 410 upgraded with a machined barstock spool, which makes it feel even tighter, and seems to improve the drag set.


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Post 05 Aug 2020, 22:26 • #11 
Guide
Joined: 06/21/20
Posts: 141
Gotta love the Mitchells. Maybe not the smoothest, but they keep going.


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Post 07 Aug 2020, 10:06 • #12 
Guide
Joined: 06/21/20
Posts: 141
Interesting that the Blue and Avacado colored rods were their lower end rods. The Gold and Brown were the more expensive ones.

slimjim1135 wrote:
Conolon colors like that baby blue are amazing. Between that and the Avocado colors, I can't think of too many more fun looking vintage outfits.


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Post 07 Aug 2020, 10:33 • #13 
Piscator
Joined: 08/10/05
Posts: 19078
Location: downtown Bulverde, Texas
not always the case - they made 5Star blue rods to specifically match 400 and 500 series reels


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Post 07 Aug 2020, 10:49 • #14 
Master Guide
Joined: 04/20/17
Posts: 387
Location: Portland, OR
FishWish, very nice vintage set...love the action of those rods...your version of the 309 was produced between the mid-sixties and about 1970. The serial number would tell us for sure.

I'll add to the post with the 510, as an alternate version of the 410, which was designed with a forked foot mount. The thought was the reel would be positioned for ultimate balance on a special seat and hence these were sold as sets and the rods were Conolon. Only made from about '69 - '73. There were five models of these made, 500 (very rare), 508 (rare), 510, 524 and 540 (exceptionally rare). The Conolon B460 in the photo was the heaviest action made. There were lightweight rods made for the 508 (alternate version of the 408). The concept never really took, so they were only made for a few years.

Sandman















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Post 07 Aug 2020, 11:43 • #15 
Guide
Joined: 06/21/20
Posts: 141
Wow! I've never seen one of those reels or rods. Very interesting. So much fun learning about the old gear and the history of fishing and fishing tackle. Appears to be a wealth of knowledge on this forum!

I've looked at the SN on my 309. I haven't nailed it down to a single year but appears to be early/mid-60s.


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Post 07 Aug 2020, 11:49 • #16 
Master Guide
Joined: 04/20/17
Posts: 387
Location: Portland, OR
What is the serial number? It is not the patent number on the underside of the rotating head, but rather the 6-7 digits on the bottom of the foot where the reel attaches to a pole.

Sandman


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Post 07 Aug 2020, 15:00 • #17 
Piscator
Joined: 08/10/05
Posts: 19078
Location: downtown Bulverde, Texas
Collectors love finding the rods that fit the 500 series reels, because without them, these great reels are ersatz.
Thanks for posting Chris, that's trick. Nice photos.
I'll throw up my Hardy Exalta, which has a reversible foot and accomplishes the same thing when matched with a Phillipson patent seat on this ES-70 rod.
This is a very cozy set-up to handle and fish.


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Post 07 Aug 2020, 16:57 • #18 
Master Guide
Joined: 04/20/17
Posts: 387
Location: Portland, OR
That's cool too...I've seen the reversible stem spinning reels, but don't think I've seen such a fly-reel-like seat on a spinning rod...looks like a perfect uplocking fly reel seat...


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Post 08 Aug 2020, 21:21 • #19 
Guide
Joined: 06/21/20
Posts: 141
Sandman wrote:
What is the serial number?
876738


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Post 08 Aug 2020, 21:59 • #20 
Master Guide
Joined: 04/20/17
Posts: 387
Location: Portland, OR
Thanks Fishwish...1969 was a good year...Mitchell UL production begin in 1959 with the 308 and 309. The table below is quantity of all Mitchell UL production in 1969, by model, and cumulative by year end. So 9300 309s were produced in 1969. You have one of them. All ULs were numbered sequentially. While Mitchell produced more 1.7M ULs across three decades, RHW (309, 409) UL reels were only produced at about a 10% rate of total production. Compare this to over 13M Mitchell 300s over four decades, the most prolific spinning reel ever produced. LHW 301 reels were also produced at a 10% rate. Hope the table formats OK...Didn't format well...to help, only 71 (qty) 408DL reels were produced in 1969 and 133K total UL production, cumulative of all ULs was 898K by YE 1969 (beginning in 1959)...this is how we know the year of your reel.

Total UL Production by Calendar Year

Model 308 309 358 408 409 408DL Total All Reels Cumulative (end of year)
1969 69573 9320 4003 45567 5086 71 133620 898070


Sandman


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Post 08 Aug 2020, 23:02 • #21 
Guide
Joined: 06/21/20
Posts: 141
Thanks Sandman. I have a 301 too. I know these lefty Mitchells are bit more rare. They still seem to be widely available. On the other hand, I had to look a little harder to find my lefty Orvis, a 101 and Spinfisher 713.

Some of the other old reels I have are right handers. I can fish with them bit it's a bit awkward. My two DAM Quicks can be set up for left or right hand reeling. The only time being a lefty is an advantage is with baitcasters. I don't switch hands and the handle is on the right side!


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