Has anyone used the Okuma 8/9 wt. helios reel? What is opinion of reel compared to the Battenkill 8/9?

Probably not a lot of difference. Both are made in China, the country that gave us Mousie Tongue, the $.99 cent Wal Mart calulator and the $2.99 socket wrench set.

Touche, Bucko !

the battenkill's design has been around for ages and is a proven fly reel. not that they cannot manufacture or design one, but okuma has been more of a budget brand for most of their lineup.

eric
fresno,ca.

And, if there is a problem you know Orvis will stand behind their product. I've not heard the same about Okuma...

I agree we need to buy more American made. That said.
I too think that the Orvis (Korean made) has been around for ever. Okuma ?

I've fished the same Battenkill 8/9 off and on for about 10 years now and never had a problem with it.

I don't know anything about the Okuma Helios, but I have an Okuma Sierra that I use with my 3wt. The drag adjustment on the Okuma started screwing up on me within 2 months after I bought it. I had used the reel only 3 times, and I never had to use the drag on a fish. Given that performance, I would never buy another Okuma product.

i have a okuma integruty5/6. not a higly machined, fine toleranced reel, but adequate. although i don't care for the drag, it can be very touchy. BUT, i once broke the foot on the integrity and emailed okuma. by the end of the week, even though it was my fault, okuma mailed me a replacement foot, no questions asked. i think that's great service. i'd rather do it myself anyway.

eric

I've owned a Battenkill for 3 years and to tell you the truth I have not been that impressed, I orignally used it on my 5wt but now use it on my 4wt and use it more to hold line, you may want to look at the new Mid Arbor model or a large Arbor model, the drag system is okay but on mine the spool rubs against a plastic plate which anoys me, I think the spool is warped. I`ve heard the Ross reels stand up good and have a better drag system you want to check them out.

First off, I am not sure what plastic plate you are talking about, battenkill traditionals are all metal, that is why they weight so much. The LA battenkill has the same drag as the traditional, only difference in the two is metal clicker on Trad. and Nylon on the LA, plus the LA has an internal bracket to keep the gears in one place. The Mid Arbor is ball bearings with metal and cork drag. As far as most of the Orvis reels that drags are very good with the exception of maybe the low end Rocky Mountain and of course the spring/pawl (which you don't buy for the drag anyway) But to each there own. Ross is a good answer, but not in the price ballpark of Trad.

Perhaps a used Battenkill (made in England) would serve you better. Or a new Ross (maybe the best customer service I have ever had to use)....
Later,
Peter

Ross reel is a great reel specially for big game.

Until very recently, the Orvis Battenkills were manufactured in England at a company-owned plant. The Battenkill 8/9 model was discontinued before the move to the Far East took place. Therefore, if you manage to locate a Battenkill 8/9 model, I believe you will find it was manufactured in England.

Flygoddess, why do you believe Orvis reels are manufactured in Korea?

By the way, I also am not aware of any Battenkill model with a plastic plate that the spool could possibly rub against.

-- Mike

I worked for Orvis for a little less than 4 years (closed the store July of 2005). Got a memo around Feb or Mar. of 2005 from headquarters stating that BFR (British Fly Reels) was no longer going to be building reels for Orvis, new manufacter was Korea, some might be China. That is why the price on all the reels dropped.
And yes you are right about the 8/9 being discontinued, but, there might be a few still lingering.

Then you aint got a Battenkill. You problably have the Rocky Mt. or Clearwater. No plastic, graphite, fiberglass, lexan, plexiglass........in a Battenkill. Best bang for the buck.

it can get confusing. there are at least four battenkill models i'm aware of. currently, the battenkill, the battenkill bar stock (BBS), the Mid arbor battenkill and the large arbor battenkill, not to mention the facets of different manufacturing plants and countries. toss in the evolution over the years...

eric
fresno, ca.

There are four different models, but the mid arbor is nothing like like the other three, it is a disc drag. I don't know why they change the name from the Matrix to the battenkill Mid Arbor. The other three have the same insides. Gear drag, except Traditional has metal clicker and LA and BBS have a nylon. As far as I remember the exterior of the Traditional changed slightly but not the internal.

I’m not sure what you call it (line guard?) but there is silver plate between the spool and reel used to keep the line in, I’m sure at one time they were made from metal but this is a type of plastic, I took it off and figured I could file it down were it rubs against the spool but it is plastic and not metal so I left it alone and was a little turned off from the reel but still use it allot on my 4wt but I figure It will sooner or later it will get dropped and could break. I have no complaint against the drag but found the CV2 reel from bass pro that I got on sale for cheaper is a much better reel. Ross worldwide has two series of reels in that price range and their USA Cimarron is a little more but looks like solid reel built to last. I also looked at the Orvis Rocky Mountain and was told it is the same drag as the Battenkill and also noticed a couple of Orvis guides using them with their clients so they may be a good reel for the value and they were guiding for Steelhead so the drag would have to pretty good.

I still don't understand, you should be able to pull you spool off and there should just be a gear, no metal or plastic spacer. Could you be referring to the piece at the top of the reel that is shaped like an "H"? Cause if you bent your spool it would definitly be a problem. Rocky mountain is not the same drag as Battenkill. RM is a ball bearing behind the adjustment knob and they do wear out.

Yes it is the H looking piece, I assume you would call it a line guard? I never bent or damaged the reel, I think it may have warped do to cold weather or was a defect as it did from the first season on, I would have returned it or sent it in but the reel was a gift from a friend who living in Scotland at the time.