Almost everyone has a hobby or hobby that they enjoy. For me, it’s fishing. Like most people, I enjoy acquiring new equipment for my hobby. My fishing tackle box is full of gadgets and gizmos as well as a few key items like fishing reels. For spinning, a reel I look for quite often is the Mitchell Blade ALU 4500 reel. Here is some information on this affordable, full-featured reel.
About the Mitchell Blade ALU 4500 Spinning Fishing Reel
Originally made in France in the 1940s, the Mitchell was purchased by Pure Fishing, the company that includes other notable brands such as Abu Garcia, Fenwick and Berkley. Mitchell offers a wide range of freshwater reels that are reasonably priced, but have a good range of features. Case in point? The Blade ALU 4500. For around £53.00 you get a well-designed, robust reel that more than covers most spinning applications. The entire ALU line is totally resistant to salt water. The Blade ALU 4500 has a premium feel the moment you pick it up, so you can be sure of flawless performance even in the most challenging situations and venues. The softness of this royal is really remarkable!
About HPCR Bearings
The Blade ALU 4500 has 5 plus 1 HPCR ball bearings. HPCR stands for “high performance corrosion resistant”. HPCR bearings are appreciated for their reliability and durability. Made in Germany, HPCR bearings are made from a rust resistant material and not, like bearings on other reels in their class, simply coated in a corrosion resistant material that can wear away. The result? Well, I’ve found that reels with HPCR bearings can take a lot more stress. Also, these reels have better dry running behavior at higher RPM speeds, a feature I really appreciate. If the reel becomes contaminated, which it shouldn’t with proper care, HPCR bearings will still perform better than standard bearings.
More features of the Blade ALU 4500 reel
This royal features a corrosion-resistant aluminum body. The rotor is also aluminum. Another superior design feature is the double anodized machined aluminum spool. The real one comes with a spare aluminum spool. Operable for both left and right handed, the reel has an anti-twist titanium line roller. Titanium is a strong, corrosion-resistant, shiny white metal that is valued for its strength-to-weight ratio. Titanium is widely used for aircraft parts so it is sure to add a lot of value, function and performance to a fishing reel. The Blade SLU 450 has a sleek machined aluminum handle and an instant anti-kickback feature. I found the front brake to be powerful and smooth. The reel holds 300 meters of 0.25 line and has a 6.2:1 payback ratio. It weighs 373 grams.
I have had very good luck combining the Blade ALU 4500 with a couple of Rapala lures: the Jointed GolFluorescent and the CountDown® Firetiger. More anglers have caught world record fish with Rapala lures so they make a great match with this quality reel. Highly recommended!