This is just an update in my
review of the Vibram FiveFingers KSO shoes that I posted yesterday.
I finally got a few hours to spare in this unbelievably busy week, so I hit the stream to see what the trout were up to. I'd originally planned to just put on a pair of hip boots that I keep in my car at all times for just such an occasion, but then decided that it'd be a great opportunity to try out my KSOs (that I had on), in the water.
So, once I got to the stream (in this case, the Loyalhanna), I simply strung up my rod (Diamondglass 7'-0" 4wt), rolled up my jeans, and headed for the water.
The first thing I noticed was that the water was cold!
The second thing I noticed was the unbelievable amount of feeling the FiveFingers offered as I walked around the freestone streambed. Far better than the Teva sandals I normally use to wet wade, and obviously leaps and bounds better than hip boots or wading boots, I could feel each and every pebble underfoot.
Whether because of the individual toe pockets, the flexible sole, the zigzag siping, or, more likely, a combination of the three, I found myself walking around in the water far more naturally. While wading in hip boots is normally a cause for abandoning all fishing and worrying about secure placement of each step, the FiveFingers seemed to find solid purchase anywhere my foot fell on the slick, rounded stones in the Loyalhanna, freeing up my concentration, and allowing me to fish as I moved.
The Loyalhanna, like most freestone streams, has few, if any, jagged stones in the streambottom, so I didnt have to worry about sharp portrusions jabbing me underfoot, and the seperate pockets allowed my toes to flare a bit, increasing my footing in the silty sand that covers slower portions of the stream.
When I was ready to head home (or rather, when I had to tear myself away from fishing and head back to the busy schedule), it was nice to have such good traction for navigating up the bank in wet shoes. This, however, proved to be the only drawback of the FiveFingers that I've encountered so far: several times, I picked up stems of weeds and blades of grass between my toes. While it wasn't a huge issue, you definitely cant just bust through the weeds like you're used to doing with rubber hip boots.
When I got back to the car, I took off the shoes to see if the KSOs really kept stuff out, and was pleasantly surprised. While there were a very few tiny bits of sand and leaf litter in each shoe, the total amount was insignificant. In each shoe, I could count the individual bits of 'stuff' that got in. There was about 10 grains of sand in each shoe. Not hardly enough to notice. Overally, I was highly impressed, as I thought the elastic around the ankle would keep largers bits out, but allow silt to get all through the inside of the shoe. Nice job there, Vibram.
Back at the car, I took off my KSOs, dried my feet, and put on a pair of regular shoes, tossing the Vibrams behind my seat to dry. This was at about 6:30pm. Now, in the mean time, they were in my car, not in a normal airflow situation, but this morning they were still a little bit damp, something to consider if you plan on wearing them as an everyday shoe, or in extremely wet surroundings. I'm sure while being worn they'd dry much quicker.
By the way...I had one take on a #22 snowshoe caddis that I didn't get a good hookset on, and caught a nice healthy brown male on a #12 olive wulff. I saw alot of caddis fluttering around, in the #16-#20 neighborhood, but didn't see any trout eating any caddis. My guess is that standard caddis patterns will become effective very soon, and will remain effective until the first good frost.
...this IS a fishing blog, after all.
Well, its been quite some time since I've posted anything here at Tailing Loops, longer still since I posted a review, so here goes.
While this isn't a review of a piece of fly fishing equipment, a book, or some other directly-related item, I feel its worth talking about.
The Vibram FiveFingers line of shoes are a radical departure from typical shoe design. Made for a wide range of activities from walking to yoga, running, trekking, and even boating, these shoes are designed to allow your foot to do what it was designed to do: support your body.
The FiveFingers line consists of four specific models of shoe: Classic, Sprint, KSO, and Flow. The Classic is the baseline model, while the Spring incorporates a strap across the open top, the KSO provides a closed-top that fits against the underside of the ankle made of light synthetic fabric, and the Flow replaces the light material with neoprene, for water and cold-weather activity. For my purposes, I picked up a pair of the KSOs (short for keep-stuff-out), and that's the specific shoe I'm dealing with in this review.
Taking a minimalist approach, Vibram's goal with this shoe is to provide all the sensations and benefits of walking barefoot, with the protection of their TC-1 rubber to eliminate the dangers posed by sun-baked asphalt, bees, and bits of glass and metal that normally make going barefoot a bad idea, especially in urban areas. Vibram approached the design of this shoe based on the idea of letting feet do what they were meant to do.
The design of the human foot is superb for walking, running, and jumping. While many animals are capable of impressive sprints, the human body, specifically the feet, are made for long-distance running, and some tribal people in Africa actually participate in persistence hunting, where they will literally chase antelopes and other animals to exhaustion. Wearing rigid, inflexible shoes prevents your feet from flexing and adapting properly to conditions. Many common foot problems today are caused or aggravated by shoes that impede the function of the foot, or provide too much rigidity and support, allowing the joints and muscles to weaken. In fact, it is believed that many high-end running shoes do more harm than good! To the contrary, the FiveFingers provide basic protection and cushioning for the foot without interfering with the natural motions of the foot and toes while walking. It is also believed that walking barefoot may improve posture, strengthen feet, ankles, and calves, and reduce back pain. With these shoes, your feet will be able to function properly again.
Description
The first things you notice when looking at any of the FiveFingers shoes are the toes. These minimalist shoes feature individual pockets for every toe on your foot, literally fitting like a glove. This design keeps your toes spaced out, which allows them to settle individually onto the ground with each step, improving balance and footing. It also means that these shoes wont keep all your toes crowded together, basically acting as an extension of your foot, rather than the individual elements they really are. While the feeling of the fabric between the toes is unusual, and at first, maybe even uncomfortable for some, once you get past that, the freedom your toes have while wearing these shoes is great. When out on a trail, the increased footing and stability is subtle but definitely noticeable, as your toes each settle independently of the rest.
The second most striking feature of the shoe is the sole. The soles are thin, and flex to conform to the ground you're walking on and carry the feeling through to your foot. As you walk, you can easily tell the difference between the difference surfaces you're walking on, from grass, to weeds, to dirt, gravel, pavement, brick, etc. The rubber also does a good job of protecting your foot from pointy objects, and while a large (baseball-sized) pointy rock under your arch will still be uncomfortable, you can run across gravel, even big, rough gravel, without worry.
First Impressions
As advertised, the KSO, with its full upper, does indeed keep stuff out. I took my puppy, Taka for a walk in my KSOs and we covered gravel, concrete pavement, grass (freshly cut), and sand. When we got home and I took my shoes off, there wasn't even one blade of grass or grain of sand inside. The mesh upper is elastic enough to remain form-fitting around the base of the ankle, throughout its range of motion, and the strap keeps the shoe from working loose as you walk, even up and down steep grades.
The tread on the sole is not very aggressive, as you can see from the picture, incorporating some low-relief scalloping in the high-wear areas, and siping (tiny zig-zag patterns that spread open as you step to form treads) everywhere except the arch and toes. This fairly tame tread design, combines with the Vibram rubber to give surprisingly good traction, even on wet grass. I was also surprised by how much "grip" I was able to get on wet or loose surfaces just from my toes being able to make individual contact with the ground.
The shoe is unmistakable unique in appearance, and although nobody has said anything, I've already gotten a few curious looks in stores and on sidewalks. They're the type of shoes one might call "dorky", and I'd imagine its one of those things that you either love it or hate it. Its definitely not for everyone, but if you don't mind standing out a little and getting some quizzical stares, the FiveFingers is a great shoe for exercise as well as everyday wear. I wear my KSOs without socks, though I may get a pair of the Injinji toe socks to wear with them once the weather cools off, as the thin mesh upper is very breatheable, and will allow feet to get quite cold.
Fit
Out of the box, these shoes can be a challenge to don properly. Try as I might the first day I had them, I couldn't convince the toes beside my big toes to go in the right pockets of the shoes. It's best to start with the big toe and work your way out, though, at first, it will take you a bit longer to put on these shoes than your normal sneakers. Once they're on though, these KSOs do a good job of staying secure to your foot, combining the form fitting fabric of the top of the shoe with an adjustable velcro strap that wraps around the heel, then over the top of the foot. I've read some reviews and blogs that made it seem impossible to do, but within 2-3 days, the FiveFingers are not at all difficult to put on. Yes, they do take a few seconds more attention than most shoes, but it really isn't a big ordeal. Like Vibram suggests, just start with the big toe and fit each toe in one at a time, and usually, you'll get the shoe on within a few moments. If not, just wiggle your toes and guide them into the proper places with your hands. When you get them in place, it's all worth it.
Once I got the shoes on my feet, they fit great and stayed secure on my foot, almost like a second skin. The entire FiveFingers line is light, and my KSO model weighs in at 5.7 oz per shoe. This lightness really helps enhance the experience of "barefooting". My toes at first didn't seems to want to wort themselves into the proper pockets of the shoes, but once they're in, they really stay put quite well, and the mesh upper stretches across the top of my foot without any feeling of being pulled tight.
One of my biggest issues when buying shoes is that while I'm not flat-footed, my arches are fairly low and wide. This pretty much rules out any true running shoe for the most part. With their high, cushioned arches for increased support, just walking in most of them is a painful experience for me. Normally, I just end up getting a vaguely defined "Casual" shoe, or I spend quite a long time trying on various athletic shoes until I find one with an arch to suit me. Though I don't skateboard, I've found that "skate shoes", like Vans are typically a good choice for me as well. Still, finding anything between a walking shoe and a boot has been challenging. These shoes presented no arch challenge at all, and in fact, feel great on my feet, conforming to the shape of my arch with every step.
One of the first things I noticed when taking my first few steps in the FiveFingers was that, without the thick sole of a conventional shoe, my stride was a little bit off. Each time I wear them, it gets more natural, but I did notice that just wearing these shoes has changed both my posture and stride, hopefully for the better.
The Verdict
Overall, in the short time I've had my Vibram FiveFingers KSO shoes, I've been very pleased with them. The separate toe pockets and thin sole feel unlike any shoe I've ever worn before, and the difference feels great. They offer an improved level of balance and allow the toes to move independently, improving posture, stride, and, in the long term, making your foot stronger.
Though I have yet to do so, I plan to wear my FiveFingers while fishing a few times, to see how they do in a flowing stream, on silty and sandy bottoms and slippery, moss-covered rocks. The Vibram website indicates that the KSOs are recommended for flats fishing, so I'd imagine that they'd hold up fairly well in a trout stream too!
For anyone who does any amount of hiking, you know what a difference lighter footwear can make in terms of fatigue and hiking enjoyment. These shoes are quite light and even short walks are a noticeable pleasant activity. The 'barefoot' feel of these shoes makes a walk in a pair of FiveFingers unlike a walk in any other shoe. Just feeling the textures, temperatures, and subtle details of the ground beneath you makes any walk a very interesting experience, and you'll be strengthening your foot and ankle muscles in the process! Long story short: if you like walking in the woods, walking barefoot, or walking in general, try on a pair of FiveFingers.
In two previous entries, I've written first about
my general impressions of the Orvis Wonderline, then about the
feedback I got from the company, so its only right that I should post this third installment: the end result.
After being encouraged by the Orvis customer service reps to seek an exchange for my line, I finally got some time to run out to Ligonier to see what they had to say. I didnt think to print out my email from Orvis and was worried that they'd ask for some kind of proof. It turns out my worries were unfounded.
As soon as I went in and explained the problem, the shop owner nodded knowingly, and only had two questions for me: "Weight-forward?" and "Which weight...5?". After confirming that it was indeed WF5F, he simply grabbed a new spool off the rack and asked for my reel so he could spool it up for me. Ten minutes later I was headed home with a brand new flyline.
Its rare these days to find such simple, thorough customer service, especially at all levels of a major corporation like Orvis. That they were helpful above and beyond my expectations says alot. While some people knock them for any number of reasons, I'll continue to consider them as a viable option for nearly any fly fishing need.
Well I got home last night and saw I had an email from Orvis:
Dear Orvis Customer,
Thank you for the review you recently submitted for the Trout Wonderline, item number 94GK. Customer service and your satisfaction are very important to us and we do greatly appreciate your feedback as it does help us continue in ensuring that we meet your expectations.
I am very sorry that the welded loop did not hold up well. I do want to assure you that we will pass all of your comments on to our buyer so they are aware of the problem and will be able to take the appropriate action as soon as possible.
I do want to make sure that you are aware that we completely stand behind our products and have a 100% satisfaction guarantee to ensure that you can always buy from us with confidence. You are more than welcome to return this to us for a refund or exchange. If you wish to return this to us, please reply with your full name and billing address and I will gladly provide you with further instructions and can even mail you a pre-paid UPS return label if you would like.
If it would be more convenient for you to return the line to a local Orvis Retail store, you would also be welcome to do that and would only need to present the item and a proof of purchase (such as your order confirmation or packing slip).
If you have any further questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to let me know. Have a wonderful day!
Thank you,
Megan Sanders
Orvis Customer Service
I'm pleasantly surprised by this response to the review I left on the Orvis website. It's been suggested to me (by other fishermen) that I take my flyline back to try and get a replacement, and while I feel the line eye did wear out prematurely, I haven't been dissatisfied enough with the product, in my opinion, to warrant going back to the dealer and seeking compensation. When the company itself sends me an encouragement to go back and take advantage of the service they pride themselves on, well that bumps them up a notch in my opinion.
Its only fair that if I'm going to review a piece of gear, that I also give you updates on anything that might change my feelings on doing business with a company, so I wanted to share this. If you have problems like mine with the Wonderline, clearly Orvis will do what it takes to make you happy.
...maybe I can get my replacement in olive...
When I made my first major purchase in fly fishing, it was a new reel. It came naturally, that my second major purchase would be a new fly line for that reel. Well, that reel was a Battenkill Mid-Arbor, and that line, as luck would have it, was a Wonderline Generation 3 line in WF5F.
The line hit water before I ever took it home. Immediately after I made the reel and flyline purchase, I headed for the water, where I spooled up backing and the new line. A few casts later, I was glad I'd spent the extra money for the better line.
In the 6 months or so of "rigorous field testing" that I've given the line, it's still as smooth casting as the day I took it out of the store. The line is high floating and shoots through the guides easily.
It has performed well throughout three seasons of Pennsylvania fishing, throwing tight, round loops through fall and into the frozen winter months, and then out of the winter until just today, the opening weeks of spring. Even with chunks of ice flowing down the creek, this line still remained surprisingly supple. While it showed some serious memory after spending a few nights in the car, ten to fifteen minutes of casting had the memory loops worked out of the line and it was casting great. One thing to note, however: in the winter, tiny driplets of water will freeze to this fly line, greatly reducing its ability to shoot and giving it a sandpapery feel. This water on the line also means that your guides will freeze on a regular basis, no matter your best efforts to avoid it. When drifting, it usually picks up off the water with a minimum of fuss, though many times a loud
rrrrRRIIIP!!! upon pulling the line off the water's surface is more indicative of operator error than a shortcoming of the equipment.
My main gripe with this line is the "welded loop" built into the tip for attaching leaders. Let's just say that if my vehicle were "welded" in this manner, i'd take the bus. While it worked beautifully for a few months, the loop just couldnt take a Pennsylvania winter with a non-expert caster. Just a few poorly timed casts in sub-freezing temperatures had the end of the loop (where it binds back into the line) beginning to lift and separate. This allowed water to get into the now-exposed core and from there it was a few short weeks until the entire loop came undone, forcing me to cut off the tip of the line and install a braided leader loop. This works just fine, but the loop was a really nice feature of the line and it's unfortunate that it couldnt stand the test of time.
Overall, I think that the Orvis Wonderline was a good choice for me. Any less experienced and I wouldnt have been able to really appreciate the benefits of a quality line, but now that I'm more experienced, the fishing I've done with it has let me know what to look for in future line purchases. Its shown me the difference a good line can make, and most importantly, I feel it has made me a better caster, by better translatinting my casting into how it behaved, helping me to develop good casting habits. Its certainly not the greatest line ever, but it does everything it sets out to do as a line.
I suppose I'll have to try out at least one or two more higher quality lines before I can make an accurate comparison, but from the experience i've had with the Wonderline, I'd feel confident recommending it to another learning fly fisherman.
In this entry, I'll be reviewing the New
Streamside Guide to Naturals and Their Imitations, by Art Flick, with contributions by David
Klaustmeyer and Raymond R. Camp (Globe Pequot, 2007).
The first thing I noticed about this book when I spotted it on the shelves of my local Barnes & Noble was the surprisingly stark, featureless cover. Since entering the madness of fly fishing, I've noticed that the vast, vast majority of books about fly fishing feature beautiful covers, depicting fish, flies, fishermen, and rustic landscapes. In contrast, however, while this cover did feature a single photograph of a fisherman,
streamside, he was holding a book, not a
flyrod, and, excepting the photograph, the rest of the cover is a monotone gray. While this lack of flair may lose a few would-be readers, it actually was the very thing that caught my attention.
The book is fairly small and thin, due to its intention of being carried
streamside. For me, the book will probably stay at home, as I have all the
streamside grace of an intoxicated giraffe, and the book would probably end up as so much watery pulp, on its way to the gulf of
Mexico. On longer trips I may take it along, stored safely in a
ziplock bag, in the large back pouch of my vest, but for afternoon/evening trips, I'll keep it safely at home.
Between the covers, the book's 174 pages are divided into 20 chapters and change, in the form of a smattering of forewords, introductions, appendices, afterwords, and an index. The first few chapters are about the nature of dry fly fishing, and a pretty good explanation of the mayfly life cycle. There are also several chapters about other insect life, but the real meat and potatoes of this tome are the 9 chapters about individual species of mayfly.
Flick covers 9 major species of mayfly in great detail: the Quill Gordon, the
Hendrickson/Red Quill, the March Brown, the Grey Fox, the Light
Cahill, the Green Drake, the Dun Variant (
Isonychia), the Blue-winged Olive, and the Cream Variant (
Potamanthus). He explains how each of
these carries out its life processes and explains habits, appearances,
emergences, and peculiar tendencies of each. He even goes as far as to estimate the time of year, and even time of day, when anglers can expect to see the various hatches.
Flick also shares the patterns he uses to imitate these mayflies, and includes tips on how they are best fished. In a
separate chapter, he discusses the proper care and storage of dry flies as well.
For me, this book was exactly the sort I'd been looking for. While the information contained between its gray covers may be old news to experienced anglers, I'm really starting to explore the entomology aspect of fly fishing, and this book does a great job of helping to break down the general classification of 'mayfly' into the individual types that are commonly encountered
streamside, a subject that many seem hesitant to take on. Conversely, this book may be a little bit
too involved for truly novice fly anglers. The guy that
doesn't know the difference between a terrestrial and a
sculpin isn't really concerned with the reasons why a
Hendrickson and a Red Quill both imitate the same species, but in time, I think many novice fly fishermen will become interested enough in entomology to make this a worthwhile read. Even guys that pretty much know all of this may still benefit from having the key points condensed into one small, portable volume, not to mention the little tips and tricks, as well as the peculiar tone of
Flick's that make it read more like a letter and less like a text.
In summary, Art
Flick's New
Streamside Guide to Naturals and Their Imitations is a practical, approachable, and plainly-worded offering that will help any angler unlock the mysteries of the flies that fish feed on.
_
In this gear review, I'll be taking a look at the Battenkill Mid-Arbor III fly reel, made by Orvis. In the future I plan to provide several similar reviews, in order to provide you, the reader, with an unbiased, objective, third-party look at some of the gear I've had experience with and that you may be considering for purchase.
With this, and all subsequent reviews, you can be sure that I am not being sponsored by any sort of company, and I do not receive any sort of compensation for these reviews. At the same time, I dont mean to imply that my review is the only one you should read before making a purchase, I am simply informing you, the reader, of my experiences with the equipment in question.
As with all of my posts, I encourage any and all of my readers to respond with their questions and feedback by making a comment via the link attached to the bottom of every post.
Now, lets get on with the review:
Orvis Battenkill Mid-Arbor III Fly Reel
I knew I was in the market for a new reel as soon as I hooked my first great lakes steelhead.
The fresh-from-the-lake male grabbed the black woolly bugger I'd swung in front of his nose and proceeded to take off across Elk Creek, turning, running, and leaping at will. Though I knew that managing to hook a steelhead was only half the battle, I didnt realize until that moment just how evenly these fish are matched with the anglers who fish for them. Time after time, the fish would come within feet of me, only to race off again, seemingly tireless. Each time he ran, the drag on my starter-kit rod would sing, each time sounding a bit more hoarse.
By the time I'd landed the fish, the lump at th end of my flyrod had been demoted from "reel" to "line holder". The spool spun with equal ease in either direction, and made the same unpleasant scraping noise in either direction as well.
Thus, my hunt for a new reel began, to end, a month or so later, with an Orvis Battenkill Mid-Arbor III snug in my reel seat.
The BMA3 is a middle-of-the-road type of reel. While it's not the best money can buy, it's a far better reel than you'll get with any starter kit, or entry-level set up. If properly maintained, theres no reason to doubt that this reel will last decades, if not outlast the original purchaser.
The Orvis Battenkill Mid-Arbor III
Orvis markets the BMA3 as "the ideal preparation if unexpected big fish are a possibility", and in that, I believe their marketers are correct. For me, the budget-minded angler, this translated into "a reel that will be suitable for both steelhead in the Lake Erie tribs and trout, bass, and panfish in local streams and lakes". It retails for anywhere from $119 to $139 off-the rack and for me, it was worth it, as opposed to getting two reels, one for trout and one for steelhead, both for more than half the price of the BMA3. In addition, the reel comes with Orvis' excellent customer service, meaning the reel is guaranteed against defects for life. In addition, Orvis offers to clean, service, and lubricate their reels for $10. If well-maintained, it really might not be necessary, but it's nice to know I have that option. For saltwater anglers, this might be an appreciated perk.
Both the spool and housing are machined from 6061 bar stock aluminum, a grade of aluminum which is preferable for its properties of machinability as well as corrosion resistance. The handle is made of plastic, though it seems rugged, and in my opinion, preferable to wood in this application. It is also oblong, with textured gripping surfaces, making it easy to reel even with wet or fish-slimed hands.
The spool itself is removable and interchangeable, enabling the angler to switch from line to line while out on the water, and the mechanism for doing so is simple to operate. Just slide the lever to the side and pull the spool free. To attach a new spool, simply press it into place over the center pin until it clicks and youre good to go. The spool fits perfectly into the rim of the housing, and, when assembled, has no wobble or play to it.
At the base of this pin, mounted to the side of the main housing, is the drag, featuring "glass composite drag surfaces" according to Orvis. I wont claim to know all the ins and outs of what exactly is involved in a "glass composite drag surface" or how it compares to the myriad other drag systems available. All I can do is tell you about my experience with it, and as far as that goes, it has been a smooth reliable drag, whether set light to protect a light tippet in local streams, or tightened down a bit to wear out an energetic steelhead in the Lake Erie tributaries.
The drag is adjusted by turning a circular knob with a triangular grip, found in the center of the housing, opposite the spool and pin.
View of the back of the Battenkill Mid-Arbor III showing drag adjustment knob
As you turn the drag adjustment knob (also made of machined 6061 Aluminum), the drag knob "clicks" into preset notches, incrementally increasing or decreasing the amount of "pull" it takes to strip line off the spool. This is probably where I am least impressed by this reel. While it is truly "infinitely adjustable", I find that when setting the drag in the ideal range that most fly anglers would prefer, the drag passes through this range rather quickly, going from "too loose" to "too tight" in a matter of 5-10 clicks. Its not a deal breaker, however, as its simple to find the setting you want and leave it there, but I'd hoped for a little more fine-tuning in this department.
Last but not least, the reel is touted as being "easily switched from right to left hand retreive". While it is certainly possible to accomplish this feat in under 5 minutes, I wouldnt recommend trying it on the water (not that you would), or even in tall grass...or without at least a screwdriver. No, it isnt brain surgery (converting it is as simple as inverting the one-way bearing found just inside the center of the spool), but you'll need to pop out the small keeper ring that holds the bearing securely in the spool. Without a screwdriver, dental tool, pair of fine-tip needle nose pliers, or similar implement of destruction, you may be out of luck. For me, this wasnt a big deal. Though I do reel my fly rod in the traditional manner (with my right hand), I had no problems making the conversion myself, the night I brought it home. Furthermore, when I purchased it (from the ever-helpful Jim at Ligonier Outfitters), Jim offered to make the conversion for me, right there at the store, free of charge. I declined, being familiar with the procedure and liking to do things like that myself; but anyone who purchases this reel from an Orvis dealer could certainly request that the salesperson take care of this minor task for you.
The BMA3, disassembled, showing the one-way bearing and keeper ring inside the spool
So that's the technical end, now on to the good stuff: how did it
fish?!I will say that for a short time, the new reel messed up my casting. I'd become accustomed to the lightweight plastic reel that had come with my kit, and the aluminum reel, light as it was, still added sufficient weight to the butt of the rod to throw off the balance. Soon, however, I learned to cast even better than before, with the new reel attached. So if you're getting a new reel, balance is something you
definitely need to consider, especially on lighter rods.
In its first round of field testing, the Mid Arbor, outfitted with a proper amount of backing and a new Orvis Generation 3 Wonderline in WF5F (reviewed in a future installment) on the spool performed admirably. Reeling and stripping smoothly, with the advertised feature of reeling line in quicker than a standard arbor and reducing line curl. Most trout around here dont require the angler to 'get them on the reel', but a few did surprise me, and I welcomed the chance to try it out. With my drag set light, to protect my tippet, the reel gave the fish line only on the strongest runs, and enabled me to quickly and confidently bring many trout to net.
A few months later, I finally got the chance to give the drag a real workout, when I once again went toe-to-fin with a few great lakes steelhead. Once again, the reel was top-notch, giving the fish only the line required to preserve my tippet. Even at that, several of the powerful fish took off as if there was no drag at all, but unlike other times, they were quite tired after only a few runs.
I finally managed to push the reel to its limits in late December this year, taking it out in the snow and ice while fishing the Laurel Hill creek in Somerset County, Pennsylvania. Eventually, I took a bad step, and the reel took a quick dunking. Moments later, the water remaining in the reel froze in the single-digit temperatures. This rendered the drag more or less useless, and the ice that formed in the precisely machined rim of the spool prevented the reel from operating in either direction.
A bit worried, I popped off the spool and brushed the ice out with my fingers, then wiped the spool and housing with a clean, dry cloth. While there was still ice in it, the reel was back in action. A few hours later, I got back to the car. A 20 minute ride with the reel sitting disassembled on the passenger seat had it dry and operating at peak performance by the time I got to Indian Creek.
Well, that's my review of the Orvis Battenkill Mid-Arbor III fly reel. I'm not going to resort to any arbitraty stars or numeric scale to try to quantify what I've just written. I suppose, in summary, I'll say this:
The Orvis Battenkill Mid-Arbor is a true workhorse reel. It is rugged and versitaile, and offers superior performance for a fair price. If not abused, and given routine maintenance, it should last a long time.
