The new BLA Trout reel offers you the perfect combination of large arbor performance in a lightweight fly reel design. Plus, the most dependability in a large arbor reel, all while giving you maximum backing capacity and quicker line pick up for big fish; the BLA III, for instance retrieves 3 times faster than the BBS III and 1½ times faster than the BMA III. Plus the smooth and reliable carbon and stainless center disc drag with a one-way rollerbearing handles those big trout. Numbered, indexed drag knob with positive clicks for each setting means repeatable adjustments on the fly. Each fly reel machined from durable yet lightweight 6061 bar-stock aluminum with a hard anodized aluminum bushing for ultralight weight. The perfect reel for your Helios rod. In black, gold. Engrave your fly fishing reel with your name, up to 20 characters, for an additional $15.
Average Customer Rating:
4.6 out of 5
Rating Snapshot
(47 reviews)
5 stars
39
4 stars
4
3 stars
1
2 stars
1
1 star
2
44 of 47 (94%) customers would recommend this product to a friend.
Customer Reviews for Battenkill Large Arbor Trout Reel
Review 1 for Battenkill Large Arbor Trout Reel
Overall Rating:
5
/ 5
Great reel,
February 28, 2010
By:
VinZent
"Hi, I fish french rivers as well as Wisconsin rivers (coulee, Viroqua...) and I always have my Orvis Battenkill Large Arbor with me. These are great reels, I use them on small streams (battenkill 1), rivers (battenkill 2) and on big rivers or lakes (battenkill 3). I also use the battenkill 4 when fishing black bass. A must have. Will make a nice couple with any Helios rod. Vincent"
Review 2 for Battenkill Large Arbor Trout Reel
Overall Rating:
5
/ 5
Nice Reels,
February 15, 2010
By:
AshevilleTroutBumfrom Asheville, NC
"I just bought two BLA's - a No. II and a No. III, for my 4 and 5 wt. outfits. These reels are very light, and the operation is smooth.
They are well made, and the fit/finish is exceptional. They come with nice cases (I'm not clear why Orvis doesn't advertise this anywhere - seems like it would be worth mentioning).
My only concern was that these don't have steel bushings/bearings (they use hard anodized aluminum). This is to max out weight savings, I presume. I plan to keep the spindles very clean and well lubricated, so it shouldn't be a real issue. It wasn't a deal-breaker for me anyway.
I saw one recent post where someone fell on theirs, and it was damaged. I think just about any reel can be damaged if it is dropped and hits at "just the wrong place". The tolerances are so tight on reels (and for these - particularly between the spool and the body) - that a good drop could indeed upset the fit. You can't make everything bulletproof, and to me this is no indication of a lack of quality whatsoever.
There's a lot of gimmicky stuff with equipment - but I'm sold on the large arbor concept (mainly for reducing line memory), so I plan to get more of these in the future.
Orvis cannot be beat for quality, and the customer service is unbelievable."
Review 3 for Battenkill Large Arbor Trout Reel
Top 100 Contributor
Overall Rating:
5
/ 5
BLA II,
February 14, 2010
By:
GRAYLING14from UK
"I have the original orvis BLA II for line weights 4-6, i use a 4 weight line and it is perfect , so smooth , strong and durable and will probablyn last me a life time. i only fish uk rivers and it is perfect."
Review 4 for Battenkill Large Arbor Trout Reel
Overall Rating:
3
/ 5
Disappointed,
January 17, 2010
By:
Anonymous
"I bought a Battenkill large 11 5wt arbour trout reel in June 2009 I was impress with the reel Had the reel just a few month when one day out fishing when i fell over and landed on my fly rod and reel The orvis frequent fly rod was o.k. I can't say same about my Battenkill fly reel it was in pieces.I manage to put it back together but it's was no good clutch does not work aim just wondering if orvis have made the reel just to light and not strong enough"
Review 5 for Battenkill Large Arbor Trout Reel
Overall Rating:
4
/ 5
Nice reel,
January 12, 2010
By:
MakoMLfrom Arizona
"I bought the BLA II reel for a custom 4wt rod I built. I like the reel well enough overall, but it does not hold the advertised 100 yards of 20 lb Dacron backing with a WF4 fly line spooled up. I would guess it is more like 75 yards or a bit less.
The drag adjustment is something I really like, and I love the relatively light weight of this reel. I will definitely consider buying the smaller BLA I for my 2wt and the BLA III for my big water 5wt when the time comes."
Review 6 for Battenkill Large Arbor Trout Reel
Top 1000 Contributor
Overall Rating:
5
/ 5
Great Reel,
December 16, 2009
By:
Littlebucksy2kfrom Glastonbury Ct.
"I purchased a "gold" Large Arbor II Trout reel with a spare spool. It is outstanding! I have a 3wt line on one of the spools and a 5wt on the other. It looks beautiful and is so lite you don't even know it is there. I love the drag, it is easy to operate and very strong when you need it. The large arbor picks up line very fast! If you are looking for a great trout reel ... THIS IS IT !"
Review 7 for Battenkill Large Arbor Trout Reel
Top 50 Contributor
Overall Rating:
5
/ 5
Significant Upgrade from previous BLA,
November 14, 2009
By:
Rugby10from Upstate NY
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"Upgraded from the original BLA, and couldn't be more satisfied. While I enjoyed fishing the original BLA, the drag left a little to be desired when compared to the Mid Arbor. The new BLA incorporates the same drag as in the mid arbor, and the overall weight distribution of the reel is terrific. Paired with my T3 5wt, makes for a very nice rig. This is a fantastic value for a solid reel."
Review 8 for Battenkill Large Arbor Trout Reel
Overall Rating:
5
/ 5
Amazing reel,
November 14, 2009
By:
Swheelinfrom Appleton WI/Tucson AZ
"This reel is amazing. I have the BLA III and use it mainly for trout, panfish, and bass but i have been using it this fall for salmon and migrating trout from Lake Michigan. This reel has enough power to stop 16 pound browns and 20 pound salmon. This reel is well worth the money."
Review 9 for Battenkill Large Arbor Trout Reel
Overall Rating:
4
/ 5
Battenkill Large arbor trout 2,
November 7, 2009
By:
Mossback2351
"The price was right so I bought one and gave it a try. Only problem was the extra spool that I bought with the reel when installed was very hard to turn. It took some time and alot of turning to loosen it up. Also, this reel will not accommodate alot of backing with floating line, so watch out for those lunkers. Hey, it's still a very nice reel and I'm satisfied with it's performance on the river."
Review 10 for Battenkill Large Arbor Trout Reel
Overall Rating:
5
/ 5
Great Reel,
October 16, 2009
By:
SFJakefrom North Georgia
"I got this last year on a bit of a whim. Extremely well ballanced. Love it on my 5 wt. I always had BBS before. Really like the drag adjustment. The gold looks great. Positive drag feel.
probably the only negative is teh plastic handle. Very functional with its size when reeling, but the large tab sometimes get caught on stuff. A classier tab would be great but this is a very minor complaint. For the money, I can't complain about this reel."
Review 11 for Battenkill Large Arbor Trout Reel
Top 250 Contributor
Overall Rating:
5
/ 5
Incredible Reel For The Money,
October 1, 2009
By:
insureu
"I thought these reels were a great value at their regular price, but the current sale price makes them a tremendous value. They are light weight, fully machined, great tolerances and a true pleasure to use. I had 2 BLA IIs and just added a BLA I and BLA III to my arsenal. For those interested, you can make these completely silent by simply removing the spool (simple as flipping the lever) and removing the small screw in the frame which holds a plastic "bump" that causes the clicking. The color options are aesthetically appealing as well, matching the hardware of my varying rods. I just can't imagine finding anything of equal quality for the price. Well done Orvis!"
Review 12 for Battenkill Large Arbor Trout Reel
Overall Rating:
5
/ 5
Perfect fit!,
September 30, 2009
By:
fly4fun
"I just purchased this reel to go onto a rod that I built for my father. He is, it is safe to say, obsessed with Orvis. So I figured what better way to suprise him than to build him a rod and put an Orvis Battenkill III on it. This reel looks and functions flawless. I cannot recommend this reel any higher. I am now looking at buying one for myself after trying it out on his."
Review 13 for Battenkill Large Arbor Trout Reel
Top 1000 Contributor
Overall Rating:
1
/ 5
Cant handel the Norwegian fjords,
June 28, 2009
By:
Enevoldsenfrom Oslo, Norway
"Hello
im a real Orvis fan. But this reel realy dissepointed me! after a couple of trips during the winter the reel started making sounds, and it wasnt good sounds. The reel is also not as thight as I am used to whit the Orvis reels, i got the Battenkill mid arbour reel and it is much thighter. Its realy not good value of your mony. But it looks nice though......."
Response from Orvis:
ByOrvis Customer Service Team,
August 24, 2009
Orvis Customer Service contacted this customer and apologized that the customer received a defective reel. Orvis thanked the customer for this feedback, as we are constantly trying to find ways to improve our items. Orvis also offered to exchange this item or give a complete refund. We will cheerfully exchange or refund your purchase at any time, for any reason. Our 100% Satisfaction Guarantee is the strongest in the business.
Review 14 for Battenkill Large Arbor Trout Reel
Top 500 Contributor
Overall Rating:
5
/ 5
New vs Old,
June 4, 2009
By:
Tommy1wtfrom Georgetown, Kentucky
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"I own a BLA II and a BLA III from 2006, these are the "older" models. I also own a BLA II that I purchased a few months ago. Although I like the new model BLA reel, I only have a single spool fitted with fast sinking line on this reel and thus it is only used when I am lake fishing or going after deep spots along the Kentucky or Ohio river.
With my older BLA II, I have three spools fitted with a 4 wt floating, a 5 wt floating, and a 5 wt sink-tip. I love both the newer and older models of this reel, but I wish that the spools were interchangeable.
I also don't understand why there was a need to discontinue the existing BLA line. The new model feels a hair sturdier, but I still prefer the aesthetics of the older BLA line.
I have landed dozens of big muskellunge on the new BLA II and the drag worked excellent. I have never landed fish as large on my old BLAs and so I cannot compare the drag performances between the two models. But suffice to say, any reel that can hold an aggressive 10-20 lb fish on a 4 wt line is a pretty solid performer to me."
Review 15 for Battenkill Large Arbor Trout Reel
Top 25 Contributor
Overall Rating:
5
/ 5
The Reel Deal,
June 3, 2009
By:
flyfishingmackfrom The Mountains, NC
"I received this reel as a package gift for my B-day during the buy a Helios get a free reel deal. I will never buy another reel for a light tackle fly rod. The large arbor retrieves line faster then any other reel i've used in this compairable size. Little things like the ergonomic reel knob make this reel even sweeter. Being so light it definately is a perfect match to the Helios."
Review 16 for Battenkill Large Arbor Trout Reel
Overall Rating:
5
/ 5
Nicest reel out there,
May 28, 2009
By:
DoUlikeFishsticks
"I bought this reel as a gift from me to me, while I was no surprise during the unwrapping process of the gift; I was definitively surprised by how well it work. I’m mainly into trout fishing and occasional Bass using a 5 wt line, so I had difficulty picking between the BLAII and BLAIII. I went with the BLAII and could not be more happy… its holds enough line (I have gel spun backing, so a lot of backing, but Dacron would have had been fine as well). The BLAIII would have been too big for me but I would recommend it for someone that wants to use one reel both for freshwater trout and occasional salt water. So 2 is the right size and right weight. Love the sound of it… it’s not like the CFO but its sweet sound to my ears. I got the gold one and the look of it is quite something… I should try to bring it with me to bars and clubs, like those guys do with their motorcycle helmet, see if that works… definitively eye catching. Also I think it is safe to say that the design will make it maintenance free."
Review 17 for Battenkill Large Arbor Trout Reel
Top 500 Contributor
Overall Rating:
5
/ 5
As good as it gets!,
May 27, 2009
By:
RainbowWorrierfrom Ayrshire, Scotland
"Superb reel that looks as good as it is. I've been using the BLA II for my brown trout fishing, both bank and lochstyle. The positive drag settings allow for the use of fine tippet without breaks! Very light in weight but not a lightweight in terms of performance"
Review 18 for Battenkill Large Arbor Trout Reel
Overall Rating:
5
/ 5
Resettable Drag!,
May 24, 2009
By:
rdpatefrom Great Falls, Montana
"This reel is light and the craftmanship is obvious. I've tried and owned other brands with drags that grabbed or just didn't work at all. The fact I can have a positive drag system that is smooth and resettable make this reel heads above the rest. I can set my drag to zero for storage and return it to my favorite position every time I go out. This is my first Orvis product but it won't be my last."
Review 19 for Battenkill Large Arbor Trout Reel
Top 250 Contributor
Overall Rating:
5
/ 5
Incredible,
May 18, 2009
By:
RussCO
"Such quality craftsmenship, flawless and beautiful action, great drag control. I have the Gold BLA III with a 5 weight line and it is magnificant. I love this reel, thanks for the fine product Orvis!"
Review 20 for Battenkill Large Arbor Trout Reel
Top 500 Contributor
Overall Rating:
5
/ 5
Wonderful,
April 16, 2009
By:
Miktrikfrom London
"This reel is one of the best I've owned. The feel, quality and build are all beyond criticism. So smooth with instantly changeable drag, light too comparede to a lot of others. Balances very well with my T3 rod. I am of course biased, I have always longed to own Orvis gear, now I do. The service in the London shop is fantastic, the gear is so well made I rarely go anywhere else these days."
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