Mitchell Reel Forum

A while ago I acquired this manual & schematic for a Mitchell 300 written in French. For some reason it raised my curiosity and I wondered what folks in France were told about their reels as opposed to those reading similar pamphlets written in English.
To translate this document I used three different on-line translators and had poor results with all three. Many of the words when translated into English do not make sense. I was unable to get everything right so I am hoping some of our French speaking Mates will help out. (I knew I should have paid attention in high school French class instead of goofing off.)

A couple of items I found interesting to look for while going over each slide of the leaflet:
1. Ever since I started collecting Mitchell 300 reels people have been guessing what the bail was made out of, at last we have some strong evidence! See figures 3 & 8
2. My guess is this booklet is for an early 5th version, what is your opinion?
3. Note on figure 2 that there is the “nick-name” for the Mitchell 300, “the King”!
4. On figure 3, are they indicating that French customers got 3 spools with their brand new reels?
5. Do the French call the spool a bobbin or a coil or both?
6. Figure 4, check out #94. Is that an arbor – whaaaat!!
7. Figure 8, “body cast under pressure”, OK ALUVAC, I get it.
NOTE ENGLISH TRANSLATION IS IN BLUE OR RED COLOR.

Go to Part 2 next.

Although I claim to speak French, there are some words in this pub that make me realize how limited my vocabulary is.

Arbre is tree in French, but in machinery terms, it also means shaft. i only know this because of my military background with sewing machines.

Bobine would be the word for spool. the other term "coll" may be an obscure one for a spool.

We all know English words that have infrequent usage. So goes in French.

LOL

Glen in Nova Scotia

Glen,
That is pretty cool. Thanks for posting.

Ted Lanham

Hey Bill,

This was the best post I have seen in many years. Lots of work and dedication went into this

Kind Regards,
Wallace

Wallace,
Thank you for your kind words. Now you can take a bow as you and your book are my main inspirations and without you there wouldn't be a Mitchell Reel Museum or the finest manual on the Classic Mitchell 300 reel ever written.
Kind Regards,
Bill

One other small point, the rotating head is called "cloche" in French. That is the French word for Bell.

Glen

Glen,
Thanks for your comment. That makes a lot more sense to me.
Kind Regards,
Bill

Happy tro be of help.

Glen

I would translate PECHE SPORTIF as Sport Fishing. Adjectives in French come mostly after the noun, but not in all cases.

La peche is fisheries, but it is also fishing. The context of describing a reel would be sport fishing rather than the commercial tone of fisheries. It also looks like the translator is doing the 2 words as 2 nouns separately, rather than noun and adjective. This is only my take on it.

I am looking at the brochure and giving my view bit by bit as I go along.

Glen

Glen,
Thanks, this is a great help.
Kind Regards,
Bill

Hi again,

Today I bought an Attwood outboard fuel line bulb. In Canada, products have bi-lingual labelling. What we call a bulb in English, is called poire in French. Translation is pear. Just how different people look at things I guess.

Best wishes,

Glen

Great post Bill, thanks for all that effort.


I see the image has a bail arm with a notch rather than a slot and has a serrated bail release so it's certainly an early one, but then both Garcia and Carpano et Pons often used old images from earlier times ( They probably never guessed anyone would be taking such a detailed look at them seventy years later)


I recall the basket of fish image as being from a much earlier leaflet...the first full bails I think. I don't have one but a UK collector shared his images with me a year or two back.

By the way, I also found some Aluvac adverts ..they made carburettors too!
Here's a staff photo from 1945:

Sadly the factory is gone now and a huge housing development in its place.

Nobby,
Thanks, your images are great to see. I wonder if someone digging around in their back yard garden, where the factory was located, could come up with a first version housing.

It is quite satisfying to me when a piece of the Mitchell puzzle is revealed.

What do you think of the part that says the bails were made out of chrome plated bronze? At last that question has been answered. Could we go a step further and say the cover plate screws were made the same?

Kind Regards,
Bill

Hi again,

The other statement, on the right side of the image, about the comfortable handle, I would translate that the handle forms itself exactly to the fingers. The word seems to be imprint, but it probably has a wider meaning in French.

Below that it says that the anti-reverse is sure and accessable, Sur in French can mean both sure and secure. Surrete means security. Securite in French means safety in English. Both words have an accent on the E.

Glen


Below this

Glen in Nova Scotia