Review Date
August 14, 2003

Overall Rating
 5 of 5

Value Rating
 5 of 5

Visitors rate this review
3.67 of 5, 6 votes

Reviewed by: Dave S(Unregistered User) ,  50+ days a year , from Spotswood, N.J., USA

Price Paid:  $140.00 at The Fly Hatch

Body of Water:
Atlantic Ocean / Various bays

Favorite City:
Up and down the coast

Favorite State:
New Jersey

Favorite Country:
USA

Summary:
I have the 10/11 matched to an Orvis 12 Wt rod. Great reel for the value. I have had numerous battles with Stripers, Blues and the reel performed well.

Strengths:
Drag system, price, warranty(have not used it yet) Construction.

Weaknesses:
They no longer advertise (make) the 10/11 according to their website/catalog. finish.

Customer Service:
No equal.

Similar Products Used:
Redington, Other Orvis reels

Review Date
July 18, 2003

Overall Rating
 4 of 5

Value Rating
 5 of 5

Reviewed by: Cary (Unregistered User) ,  30 days a year

Price Paid:  $129.00 at Local Store

Body of Water:
Yakima River

Favorite City:
Yakima

Favorite State:
Washington

Favorite Country:
USA

Summary:
Great reel for the price! I bought the 4/5 battenkill and it's terrific for pulling 20" trout out of the rivers. I have a 5/6 sci ang that cost twice as much but doesn't perform nearly as well.

Strengths:
Good finish. Good drag. Simple components.

Weaknesses:
Seem a bit heavy for a 4/5 weight.

Customer Service:
n/a

Similar Products Used:
n/a

Review Date
May 5, 2003

Overall Rating
 2 of 5

Value Rating
 3 of 5

Visitors rate this review
4.33 of 5, 3 votes

Reviewed by: tobewan(Unregistered User) ,  30 days a year

Price Paid:  $99.00 at Cant remember

Body of Water:
Anywhere with Wild Fish

Summary:
I have the 8/9 weight. I will admit the drag is smooth and the drag adustment is also smooth. However this thing is made like crap. The base is strong but it doesn't support the spool well at all. The spools bend like crazy.

Strengths:
Smooth drag, Price

Weaknesses:
Not strong at all. I've seen the new Battenkill design and it looks like they fixed the strength issue but they already lost me.

Customer Service:
The customer service is horrible. The warranty didnt cover my spool. I had to replace the spool twice out of my own wallet. I'm never buying orvis again.

Similar Products Used:
Ross, Okuma, Cortland, Sci Ang, Diawa

Review Date
February 18, 2003

Overall Rating
 5 of 5

Value Rating
 4 of 5

Visitors rate this review
3.50 of 5, 2 votes

Reviewed by: bobgent(Unregistered User) ,  50+ days a year , from Corvallis, Oregon

Price Paid:  $85.00 at Scarlet Ibis fly sho

Body of Water:
Wet

Summary:
An excellent reel, that won't break your wallet. I've been fishing this reel for about 3 seasons now, and its great.

Strengths:
Smooth strong disc drag, solid construction, lifetime warranty, Orvis...

Weaknesses:
Extra spools are spendy!

Customer Service:
Havent needed yet, but have heard its great.

Similar Products Used:
pfluegar, ross, scientific anglers, cortland

Review Date
February 9, 2003

Overall Rating
 4 of 5

Value Rating
 5 of 5

Visitors rate this review
3.40 of 5, 5 votes

Reviewed by: Hans Gruber(Unregistered User) ,  30 days a year

Price Paid:  $160.00

Body of Water:
Kamloops area lakes and coastal BC rivers

Favorite State:
British Columbia

Favorite Country:
Canada

Summary:
Please note - above purchase price is in Cdn dollars. I have an Orvis Battenkill 8/9 for my salmon/steelhead 8-wt rod. I've been using this reel for the past three years and it has been a workhorse to say the least. I've hooked steelhead, springs, coho, chums, and pinks - and the disc drag mechanism is easily adjustable for each species. The largest fish I've landed was a 40+ pound spring and the reel handled it nicely. Overall, an excellent piece of equipment for the price! I keep on thinking about purchasing a nice Hardy for my 8 wt rod (I've got Hardy reels for all my trout rods). But I just can't justify not using my Battenkill! I would definitely recommend this one folks!

Strengths:
Great all-round package for the price. Disc drag is smooth and easy to operate. Good line capacity. Attractive "traditional" look and feel. Can use it in saltwater too (although I haven't done this yet).

Weaknesses:
Anodised finish seems to wear off easily (keep away from rocks!). Printing on rear end of the reel is not engraved (what do you expect for the price). Also noticed some minor imperfections in the finish.

Customer Service:
Haven't had to use and hopefully never will.

Similar Products Used:
Hardy Marquis, Hardy Viscount (similar prices). These have a nicer finish but they do not feature a disc drag mechanism!