If you’re an all-round carp angler or otherwise enjoy occupying a peg for static coarse fishing, the Mitchell Reel Avocet Black Edition 6500 FS RTE carp and coarse spinning fishing reel is definitely an item of tackle worth consideration. It has a carpy all-black look and marries the ‘tried and tested’ with useful innovation.Mitchell has included a ‘free spool’ system which allows the spool to be set to run freely and can help with casting and specific techniques such as trolling from a boat or the bankside. The spool itself is made from anodised aluminium for strength and lightness but it’s also resistant to the weather. A set of seven high-performance ball bearings provide a great deal of smooth support for and efficient transfer of input power to the gear mechanism. A Halo rotor at the heart of this reel is specially configured to prevent the arms of the bail rubbing against the spool when under load and avoids trapping line with the spool itself. This 6500 size reel will hold 320m of 0.3mm line which you can retrieve with a gear ratio of 5.1:1. A nice and soft knob to the handle will make doing so a pleasure.For many anglers, this reel’s traditional multi-disc drag system with greased felt discs will provide the comfort and reassurance of a fishing tackle element which has served generations of anglers very well. What brings this reel into the electronic era is the inclusion of a very useful integrated bite alarm. You will be given both audio and visual indications of fish interest by the backward-facing alarm that’s built into the drag adjustment section of the reel body. You can choose between red and blue light indication, according to preference. This unit is powered by three LR44 batteries.Mitchell is arguably the source of all spinning reel innovation, after launching the classic Mitchell 300 in 1948. The Mitchell Reel Avocet Black Edition 6500 FS RTE only goes to show that this venerable firm continues to be big on ideas and committed to producing quality tackle.