I have a BBS II. The reel was recommended by the folks here on the board. Not being sure I would use a 4 wt rod much I did not want to spend the money on an Abel and asked for alternatives. I feel the reel is worth a lot more than what Orvis charges for them. Very well made and with little care it should last a lifetime and then some.
Trout don't speak Latin.
The BBS reels that I own were purchased because of their lightweight and reasonable price.Orvis has been with us for with us many decades for good reason,in my opinion.
Steve
I have 3 Battenkill Reels. Good drag system on them and very reliable and my clients like them. And of coarse you cant beat the price.
I have one, too and think they're great. And notice people don't say they're "good for the price". They're just good.
Just saw on the Orvis site that they are running the free spool promo again on the Mid Arbors and i think the BBS reels. Ends 1/31/09
Joe
uhh...nevermind
I just got the BBSI
The guys are Orvis are trully amazing. There was a error on their webpage, and as I was placing the order, I noticed the description did not match the price in my cart. They honored the lower price for me, because of the confusion and sent me a spare spool to go with the offer as well.
Great customer service, and their webchat is pretty cool too.
first impressions of this reel. AMAZING. It's so small and yet the thing feels well built and solid. just a beauty.
Alive without breath,
As cold as death;
Never thirsty, ever drinking,
All in mail never clinking.
- Riddle
Like everyone else I'm a BIG fan of the ORVIS reels. The link you posted went to the BBS and if I could have only one reel for fly fishing, the BBS would be my choice.
I purchased most of my reel bodies and spools while they were still made in England, but I have gotten several spare spools for a BBS II that were Chinese made. They fit the English reel frames just fine and with the exception of one spool they have been identically finished.
Great reels, you won't regret having purchased one.
Joe Bertolini
The standard Battenkill is investment cast, and the BBS is forged, which is the reason the BBS is a little higher. A lot of people appreciate forging over cast, but the truth is, cast is just as good (if good metal is used) because a fly reel for fresh water is not exactly taking a lot of structural stress. I have both types, and have a BBS from England now.
We like minutiae in fly fishing, so I will share some with you. I have vacillated in my preference between the Orvis style drag knob and the Ross type. Orvis uses one that is small and compact and the reels are trimmer in a storage case. The small knob and placement make it a little harder to adjust an Orvis on the go. In contrast, Ross uses a big, protruding knob, which is not svelt in appearance and makes the reel very wide for storage. The advantage is with the size and central placement, it is a little easier (for me anyway) to make an adjustment on the go with a fish on. I have fished both in AK catching large bows and dollies, and decided I liked that Ross style a little better for big fish. The Orvis drag still held up well enough, it was just that the interim adjustment demand that you look at the reel and concentrate a little harder on that rather than watching the line and fish. If you're pursuing standard size trout, the foregoing is of no real concern in reel shopping.
If a person was older and had arthritis or other ailments, he might like the big drag adjustment knob better.
If you look at saltwater reels, you'll notice that most of them have large drag knobs.
Orvis surprised me moving production of its reels to China. I was not surprised that making them in England became cost prohibitive, but I think that the US would have been a better destination. I'd much prefer to buy a reel made in the US. It probably would have helped Orvis to sell reels that said "Made in the USA" over China, and I'd prefer to be contributing to the economy of someplace, like Mountain Home, AR, which would be a reasonably affordable place to manufacture.
Like you said...it all has to do with the cost of production...and it isn't any cheaper here than it is in England. If people were less inclined to look for the best "deals" here...and be willing to pay more for American Made, then Ovis and others wouldn't have to go to China or some other developing nation for product.
But then, this country was built on the "best deals" ...it's just coming back to bite in the fanny.
"There's more B.S. in fly fishing than there is in a Kansas feedlot." Lefty Kreh
"Catch and Release,...like Corrections Canada" ~ Rick Mercer
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