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​       The Mitchell 408 model has to pay its tribute to all the model that have been previoulsy designed by Mitchell. It owes all its technical specificities to the former Mitchell 300, Mitchell 308 and Mitchell 358. The aim of this study is not to make a review of these 408 predecessors, but it is not possible not to mention them.

Mitchell built its fame and its own name with the model called Mitchell, which later will become the renowned Mitchell 300.

        The egg shape comes from the original Mitchell reel, first released in 1939. This shape is on one hand beautiful in itself, and on a second hand reflects the major technical feature that made it famous. The reel’s mechanism was improved by Maurice Jaquemin, which included the gearing, the anti-reverse system and a low speed oscilation system. Jaquemin wasn’t an angler, but he definitely was a complete ingeneer. 

         After a few variation of this model (the Otomatic, the Rapid,…), Mitchell launched in 1959 an ultra-light model, the 308, that kept the egg shaped and enclosed a reduced and simplified mechanism. The gearing system of the 300 oscillation system was changed into the Planamatic system which required only two gears included in the main drinving gear. This enables a lot of space saving.  This new oscillation system allowed the spool to move forward and backward one time only when turning the handle four times. Besides, pulsations are introduced in the travelling motion of the spool, thanks to an offset pin on the planamatic gearing. This system reduces line tangles and allows longer casting distance.

           Quickly after the 308 was produced, a high-speed version was released : the MITCHELL 358. This model, was black, as the 300 and the 308. A green handle knob was mounted on it to differentiate the two ultra-light reels. The planamatic system wasn’t incorporated in the 358. Its spool oscillation system was directly coupled to the main driving gear (thanks to an extension part, the CW cam). One rotation of the handle produced one forward and backward move of the spool.

        In 1963 was lauched a new Ultra-light model The Mitchell 408. It combined both the main specificities of the the former ultra-light models : The high-speed 5,5 :1 gear ratio and the planamatic system. This technical achievement in the ultra-light serie was enlightened by a new design. The reel was painted in a midnight-blue color with recalls of red.