The Traditional Fisherman's Forum

Here is one for you collectors of the unusual. A new one on me.
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Rare-TJ-Harri ... 4155ee5dc9

The same seller has plenty of other angling items, not cheap though.

I've never seen one of those reels before MGs, it is unusual.

My father had a wicker seat basket and to open its lid was to reveal a chamber of wonders. First was the Mitchell 314 with its push-pool spool and spare spool in its plastic case; then there was the Omnia - a chucky, battleship grey sumo wrestler of a reel with an astonishing slow retrieve - I believe it was only 2:1, but it was a powerful winch, or so it seemed then. I caught my first pike on my father's Omnia - jacks of 2lb or so. I used the "boat rod" from my split cane Sunfish combination and, horrible to relate, I simply lifted the jacks out! The Omnia took all in its stride, barely breaking sweat, (if a reel can ever sweat). Something about the Omnia inspired confidence in an 11 and 12 year old, but it was not to last. One day the star drag fell into the reservoir and that was that. I don't recall what happened to the reel after that...

Omnias appear on eBay every week, but I have never seen the box before.....boxes make things worth a LOT of money, as do instruction leaflets.

Chris Yates used one once....which will probably push the price up :D


Mind you ...what reel hasn't he used at one stage or another?

Surely half the fun of traditional angling is that all the rods and reels of the past are calling to us, if only we have the cash and the inclination? But, personally speaking, I only got to use the Omnia because it was my dad's reel.
I wonder which reel members would like to try out, given a chance; - I quite like the Altex 2 - I've never used an Altex, but I got to turn the handle of one once, and it seemed very smooth and well made. Do you think it was really only the cost that put Walker and the CCC off the Altex? The Mitchell was cheaper...

farliesbirthday wrote:Surely half the fun of traditional angling is that all the rods and reels of the past are calling to us, if only we have the cash and the inclination? But, personally speaking, I only got to use the Omnia because it was my dad's reel.
I wonder which reel members would like to try out, given a chance; - I quite like the Altex 2 - I've never used an Altex, but I got to turn the handle of one once, and it seemed very smooth and well made. Do you think it was really only the cost that put Walker and the CCC off the Altex? The Mitchell was cheaper...

I don't think cost would have put Walker off; the Felton Crosswind wasn't exactly cheap either. Walker used an Altex 1 anyway, as did Peter Thomas and John Norman. Walker did analyse the relative merits of Mitchell versus Altex and concluded that the Mitchell was superior because it had a deeper spool (front to back) so the line level didn't drop so quickly, and it was easily serviced by anyone with a screwdriver and a pair of pliers. The Altex is so designed that you cannot access the innards without a special tool, so it has to go back to Hardy's for servicing. The only plus point* the Altex had in its favour was the full bale arm (which Hardy had patented in 1938) but this became available on the Mitchell in 1951** anyway.

I used an Altex for a good few years, and they are great for close-in open-water work, but nowhere near robust enough for big carp near snags. Lovely reels, but limited in their application.

*Actually, there is another, but it escaped the CCC and everyone else for years, probably because the concept of no-resistance was so firmly believed. By quirk of design, the Altex features a form of baitrunner - or more accurately a 'quick-drag' device. The retaining screw in the centre of the star drag adjustment prevents the nut from completely coming off, so you can loosen off the drag half a turn and get a virtually free-spool, enabling you to fish a closed bale arm. As soon as a fish is hooked half a turn on the drag screw brings you back to the proper clutch setting. The clutch is a dream on the Altex too - as good as any modern big-pit reel. I used to use this feature when legering with a second rod, as the buzz of the clutch would alert me to a run if I was otherwise engaged watching a float.

**My oldest Mitchell - just that, no 3-0-0 stamp - dates from 1951 and features a full bale arm.

Thank you, GOS - that is very informative indeed.
So Walker was probably right to go for the Mitchell...