All factory made Mitchell tournament reels will have a small hub appear on the cover plate as shown to the left. This "hub" (shown to the left) is where they placed an extra internal gear that reverses the head’s rotation which reversed the line wrap. This was especially important in "Accuracy" (aka Skish) casting when the line is coming off; the distance can be controlled by extending the right index finger to slightly rub again the expanding line if needed. Skish is a fairly new word combining "skill" and "fishing."

The other well known event was “Distance” casting. Some tournament reels also have a "lock" on the handle shank to lock it in place during casting. Although the finger trick was allowed, the handle could not be moved at all or you could be disqualified. These also have special made spools and manual pickups (PUMs) as you see. What you can't see are the very special internal gears!

All three Mitchell tournament models made at the factory were designed after their famous Mitchell 300 model with a 301 model rotating head. These were never offered for sale to the public and are highly collectable. For more information on all three models, hover over each image below or Click to Enlarge: