Orvis Battenkill Mid Arbor Reel

February 12th, 2008 Buster

The Orvis brand of reels has been a choice of mine for several years. I started out with a Battenkill reel, then I upgraded to the Battenkill Bar Stock reel, and then to the Battenkill Mid Arbor reel. Still own all of these reels, but I mostly use the Mid Arbor reel. I have used these reels for both fresh and salt water fly fishing.

The Orvis Battenkill Mid Arbor reel is anodized and machined from 6091 bar stock aluminum making it durable and lightweight. Since the reel is a mid arbor, it picks up the line faster than a standard small arbor reel. This is especially important when a fish runs towards you, rather than down stream. A mid arbor can have an impact on line coil. Fly lines on small arbor reels coil up when pulled off the reel due to being tight on the reel for given period of times. That is why before every fly fishing trip, an angler should stretch out the fly line before any use. This should remove the coils.

The spool is easy to take off and put back onto the reel. There is a small lever in the middle of the reel spool to remove the spool from the body. I would recommend carrying an extra spool with a sinking or sink tip line for fishing streamers and big nymphs when you want to get the fly down deep into the water. The drag adjustment knob is large and easy to adjust at anytime.

The reel is priced between $119.00 and $129.00. It is medium price freshwater reel when compared to a large and small arbor reels from Orvis. If you are considering about getting into fly fishing and are looking to buy your first outfit, consider this reel.

Entry Filed under: Fly Fishing, Gear, General