Home » Orvis Clearwater Reel (LA II) – Full Review
The Jumping Rise crew loves the Orvis Clearwater Reel! In this review, we will offer our opinion on why Clearwater is a great choice but don’t take our word for it (we mean, you can if you want); customer reviews speak for themselves. In the price-to-value race, the Clearwater II is a top competitor for the best fly reels in 2022. At a $100 price point, Clearwater offers an attractive price-to-value ratio over similar reels from competitors.
As a result, some of the cost-saving design choices show up in high-quality plastic components, but in our experience, these components still perform well when stacked up against the competition. For this review, we also considered Abel, Cheeky fly reels, Danielsson, Lamson Liquid, Hatch, Hardy, Orvis Battenkill, Redington Behemoth, and Sage Spectrum C Fly Fishing Reels.
Recently redesigned in 2019, the Orvis Clearwater Reel is a beautiful die-cast fly fishing reel with a stealthy matte-gray powder-coat finish. The action is smooth as silk with a carbon-to-stainless positive disc drag. It is easily converted from righty to lefty retrieve with an ambidextrous design.
The Orvis Clearwater can most definitely compete with other more expensive machined reels. It is an excellent choice if you are in the market for your first large arbor or need a spare reel or two in the bag.
Orvis Clearwater Reel Key Features
Aluminum / Plastic.
5.4 oz.
3.5-inch Diameter.
Stainless Steel Bearings
4-6 Line Weights
Orvis Clearwater Reel Customer Reviews
In every respect, this is a classic large arbor reel. It has an excellent, smooth drag clutch, perfect for different line weights. Beautiful finish and surprisingly crisp bodywork for a cast rather than machined aluminum reel. I have two spare spools each, and they are a joy.
This is perfect. I have used other expensive reels at the fly shop I worked in, and this reel is just as good. Although I’ve only used 2-3 times, my friend has the same reel and is fishing regularly with it.
I purchased this reel to replace an older 5 wt standard arbor reel, loaded on some backing and new fly line and checked the retrieve and drag and balance, and it worked beautifully. I think it’s a great budget-friendly reel.
Doesn’t have a sealed drag system, but still an excellent reel. The reel drag is smooth, and the clicker lets you know when a big one is taking line without being too loud. I have a Clearwater II mated to a 7’6″ 4wt Clearwater rod for small water and Clearwater IV mated to 9′ 6wt Clearwater rod for bigger water. I love them both. A great combo that comes with a 25-year warranty on rod and lifetime warranty on reel(against manufacturer defects)
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Welcome back! Do we have an excellent review for you this time! This review will step into the Waterworks Lamson fly fishing reel product line and cover six of their most popular fly fishing reels. First, we will start with the Lamson Liquid fly reel. Then we will move up the line to the Lamson Remix, Lamson Speedster S, Lamson Guru.
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The design, aesthetics, sounds, and tactile feeling in the hand are all extremely appealing aspects of fly fishing reels. Even though all of this is true, a fly fishing reel is not exactly as important as other essentials such as rods, line, and flies. Still, you must have a good reel well suited to your needs to have the best experience possible.
A decent fly rod and reel combination is the most significant aspect of fly fishing equipment for newcomers. A proper fly fishing rod will make it easier for you to cast, learn, and catch fish, but a lousy rod may be so frustrating that you decide to stop fly fishing entirely. Finding the best rod and reel set for the money takes time and effort.