Mitchell Avocast 7000 Black Edition Reels
Mitchell's been around longer than any of us have even been alive and is back with some refreshingly futuristic offerings!
A fallen giant of yesteryear, Mitchell has been quietly making its way back onto the mainstream carp circuit over the past decade or so. You can now find plenty of kit that’s suitable for the UK carper in their range, and they aren’t finished yet… far from it in fact! As if to prove that they’re listening carefully to what we carpers want, they’ve picked up on the vogue all-black, stealth styling that’s so popular right now, and released two big pit carp reels: the FS7000 and the Avocast 7000 Black Editions, which we’re going to take a look at here.
The big questions
1. Mitchell: I’ve heard the name, but isn’t it a match fishing brand?
In the dim-and-distant past, yes, they were. But as a company they were actually much more significant than that. In the late 1930s they were granted a patent on the world’s first open-faced spinning reel, so we’ve got much to thank them for! Fast-forward a few decades and their Mitchell 300 was a firm favourite with match anglers, but made serious inroads into the carp market too. In fact, they were that reliable, that you can still find plenty of them in active service today, which perhaps bodes well for the longevity of their more recent releases! Speaking of which, they’ve recently released two big pit reels under the ‘Black Edition’ banner, which look set to put them front and centre of the budget big pit market.
2. What can I expect from the Avocast 7000?
Okay, so it’s a feather-light, big pit reel, with masses of spool capacity (a gigantic 415m of 0.35mm mono!). Their performance hints at reels of more than twice the price, thanks to their 4+1 bearing configuration and slow oscillation will lay down your line beautifully, allowing you to make longer casts, which is why we buy big pits, right? The black, anodised spool and reel handle are made from aluminium, which helps to keep weight down (the Avocast 7000 weighs just 615g), while retaining crucial strength.
3. Any nice touches?
You bet. The whole body is finished in a subtle, stealthy black, with tone-on-tone graphics that give it that ‘barely there’ branding. Mitchell has chosen distinctive black wooden handle knobs to match the bodies, which we like, and the handles themselves fold down to allow you to cram your rods tight together, should you want to follow that particular fashion (we know that you secretly do…).
4. What about performance?
They’ve got plenty of cranking power, thanks to a retrieve ratio of 4.3:1. Couple this with the deep spool, and you’ve got a combo that’ll allow you to fish a loooooong way into huge, windswept pits, and not have to spend too long reeling in! The smooth, anodised spool is tapered for optimum casting performance and the line whispers off the carefully configured lip for effortless chucking (well, put it this way, it won’t be the reel that lets you down if you can’t hit the spot!). The reels feature a reliable front drag system and easy-to-locate anti-reverse lever, which should get a thorough workout should you hook a big-water beast!
5. So it’s a decent reel, but can I afford three?
The answer is yes, definitely YES! In fact, and this is the best bit, one of these reels will set you back just £89.99. So that’s three for well under £300 – the price of one of the top-end models from the Japanese giants. Frankly, it’s staggering value, and we’re constantly amazed at the quality of kit coming through at these price-points nowadays. AND WAIT! There’s more! To celebrate the launch, Mitchell are running a special offer: buy two Avocast 7000 Black Edition reels and they’ll give you a third completely FREE! That’s three big pits for just £179.98 - mental!
So, whether you’re looking to step into big pit fishing for the first time, or you want to upgrade to the smart, all-black look on a budget, the Avocast 7000 is the answer. mitchellfishing.com