Orvis Ratings and Reviews

Top Rated Product

Mirage Reels

Our large arbor Mirage fly reel combines superior performance and a great price to put it in a class all by itself. Using the same principles employed for the brakes of fighter jets, the carbon to stainless drag gives smooth, consistent, and infinitely-adjustable stopping power—from free spooling to a dead stop. Imported.Size I, II, III, IV, V, VI in black, gold, black nickel. Size VII in gold and black nickel. Mirage LA I for line weights 1-3; 3.8 oz., 3" diameter.Mirage LA II for line weights 3-5; 4.3 oz., 3¼" diameter. Mirage LA III for line weights 5-7; 4.8 oz., 3½" diameter. Mirage LA IV for line weights 7-9; 7.2 oz., 4" diameter.Mirage LA V for line weights 9-11; 7.7 oz., 4¼" diameter.Mirage LA VI for line weights 11-13; 10 oz., 4½" diameter.Mirage LA VII Shallow for line weights 11-13; 11.7 oz., 5" diameter.Mirage LA VII Deep for line weights 13-15; 11.5 oz., 5" diameter.
Average Customer Rating:
4.78 out of 5
4.8
 out of 
5
Open Ratings Snapshot
Rating Snapshot (50 reviews)
5 stars
45
4 stars
1
3 stars
3
2 stars
0
1 star
1
47 of 50(94%)reviewers would recommend this product to a friend.
Customer Reviews for Mirage Reels
Review 1 for Mirage Reels
Overall Rating: 
5 / 5
5 / 5
Best reel on the market,
March 12, 2012
By: chawk
from Traverse City, MI
"When I first casted the Helios rod, I thought that Orvis had reached the pinnacle. I was wrong. When they created the Mirage reel to put on the Helios, my 58-year-old body thought it died and went to heaven. Light and strong with a terrific drag, the Mirage couples perfectly with a Helios and can't be beaten.
-Chuck Hawkins
Owner, Hawkins Outfitters, 2010 Orvis Endorsed Guide Service of the Year
"
Review 2 for Mirage Reels
Overall Rating: 
5 / 5
5 / 5
Very nice reel.,
May 4, 2013
By: JBright
from Spring Texas
"Love the reel. Waiting on flyline to arrive so I can actually try it out.
I feel very confident that this will be an excellent reel.
This ask for a nickname. Then you tell me how many characters I have to use?????"
Review 3 for Mirage Reels
Overall Rating: 
5 / 5
5 / 5
Solid Reel,
March 13, 2013
By: akursus
from Alaska
"This reel is awesome! I was disappointed in the old Vortex reel, but upgraded to this VI and it is unbelievable. The drag is very smooth and can be cranked down enough to stop some serious fish-----no problems holding and landing 50-80 lb GT's. Your knots, line, leader or rod will perish first! It performed better than the more expensive reels I also used, including Tibor and Nautilus in the respective sizes. Good going on this one Orvis!"
Review 4 for Mirage Reels
Overall Rating: 
5 / 5
5 / 5
Worth Every Penny...,
February 26, 2013
By: WiscoSkip
from Milwaukee, WI
"I've fished a lot of reels over the years and the Mirage simply takes the cake. Simply put there just isn't another reel out there that offers the performance, look, and durability that the Mirage does for the price. I'm willing to pay for the performance and durability, and have found it to be well worth it."
1 of 1 people found this review helpful.
Review 5 for Mirage Reels
Overall Rating: 
5 / 5
5 / 5
Great Design and Function,
February 7, 2013
By: FlybumMedia
from Cleveland, OH
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"I have had the opportunity to fish this reel in more places than any other I own. After buying my first Mirage, I was so impressed with the quality of this reel (not to mention the eye appeal) that I jumped at every chance to get more. I now own four Mirage reels in varying sizes for just about any situation and can say with confidence that this reel has NEVER failed me. Where others have iced up, over heated, or just flat fell apart, this reel deserves respect. Whether in the salt of the Caribbean looking for the trifecta, pulling Steelhead and Browns from the waters of the Great Lakes or looking for that big Salmon or Bow in Alaska...this reel has done it all and done it with the utmost of style! If you want a piece of gear that is dependable, durable, and looks good, look no further!"
Review 6 for Mirage Reels
Overall Rating: 
5 / 5
5 / 5
All u need.,
January 26, 2013
By: Dwood
from West chester, pa
"Like the new color. Smooothhhh reel and drag system is the best design with precision adjustability. No guess work"
Review 7 for Mirage Reels
Overall Rating: 
5 / 5
5 / 5
The best on the market.,
November 29, 2012
By: TLSchiavone
from Phoenix, AZ
"I found my first Orvis Mirage reel to be one of the finest fly reel on the market so I up graded all my fly fishing reels to the Orvis Mirage.
I now have the II, III, IV, and VII with spares spools and different Orvis fly lines to matched up with my Orvis Helios fly fods.
Thank you Orvis for providing us fly fishers with the most outstanding fly fishing equipment to date."
Review 8 for Mirage Reels
Overall Rating: 
5 / 5
5 / 5
Simple, Elegant.,
November 13, 2012
By: FSBrazil
from Brazil.
"At first I did not expect much of this reel. Only after using it a couple of times is that it´s atributes come to life. The lightweight, the fast retrieving, the simplicity without little parts to loose.
The drag is very powerful.
"
Review 9 for Mirage Reels
Overall Rating: 
5 / 5
5 / 5
mirage shallow,
September 5, 2012
By: styles
from ny
"this is my favorite reel it will handle any situation and keep running smooth you can feel and hear the positive click drag and it will really stop fish dead in there tracks i highly recommend this reel"
Review 10 for Mirage Reels
Overall Rating: 
5 / 5
5 / 5
Awesome reel!!,
August 19, 2012
By: CERMA
from Medellín - Colombia
"Is very sensitive. It looks beautiful and with a few clicks on the brake, I can stop "a whale"."
Review 11 for Mirage Reels
Overall Rating: 
3 / 5
3 / 5
Nice reel but...,
July 18, 2012
By: Flashbang
from Calgary Alberta
"I purchased several Mirage reels in a variety of sizes. I like the look of the reels, their maintainance free sealed drag and the relatively light weight. They have performed well for me for in a variety of fresh and saltwater applications. Unfortunately there is a problem which I have experienced many times with several of these reels. The flyline can escape between the spool and the reel body leaving a loop of line over the bottom pillar. I carefully examined the reel and compared the Mirage to several other quality reels. I noticed that the gap between the pillar on the reel body and spool is larger on the Mirage reels than on other reels. Other reels have positioned the pillar so that it is nearly flush with the outside of the spool groove. The Mirage reel positions the pillar exactly in the middle of the groove on the outside of the spool, which may be aesthetically pleasing but, it creates a larger gap through which the line can escape. Not only is this annoying it can occur at an inopportune moment costing you a fish. If this where corrected I would rate this product at a 5 out of 5."
Review 12 for Mirage Reels
Overall Rating: 
5 / 5
5 / 5
Great Reel..,
July 17, 2012
By: jimmy1
from Jackson Heights, NY
"I've have this reel in a IV and a II for a couple of years. Both are excellent reels, and I can't recall ever having an issue with either.
I used the IV for steelhead in winter on the great lakes tributaries and for pike in Ireland. It balances out a 10' rod perfectly.
I've caught a lot of heavy Pike on the IV that had to be pulled straight up from under the boat and the reel still looks and performs like new. Class product!
"
Review 13 for Mirage Reels
Overall Rating: 
3 / 5
3 / 5
Corrosion,
July 12, 2012
By: LJeremy
from San Juan, Puerto Rico
"I purshased a Mirage V and used it for one year. Mechanically, it's sound. I did experience problems with corrosion, specifically where the screw fastens the handle's counterweight and meets the backing. Regular backing absorbs water unlike gel spun. Even after thoroughly cleaning the reel after saltwater use, galvanic corrosion pitted the idolize coating where the screw meets the spool. The fact that the screw is not idolized is a mayor ups! Found out about it while replacing the backing with gel spun backing. It's being covered under warranty but at the expense of the $20.00 fee, plus the shipping and handling. Recommend the reel? Tell you after I get my reel back."
1 of 1 people found this review helpful.
Review 14 for Mirage Reels
Overall Rating: 
5 / 5
5 / 5
Awesome Reel,
May 13, 2012
By: Nash324
from Pittsburgh, PA
"I can't say enough about this reel. If you want nothing but the best then buy this reeel. Everything about it is wonderful."
Review 15 for Mirage Reels
Overall Rating: 
5 / 5
5 / 5
Great Purchase,
May 10, 2012
By: wvtroutslayer1
from West Virginia
"This reel is top of the line. The drag system works great and it has super smooth reeling."
Review 16 for Mirage Reels
Overall Rating: 
5 / 5
5 / 5
Mirage reels rock!,
May 1, 2012
By: calaska
from Vacaville, CA
"I use Mirage reels on all of my Spey and two handed rods and have found them to stand up to any fish, any time. Great drag system, plenty of capacity, and fast retrieves, thay have it all."
Review 17 for Mirage Reels
Overall Rating: 
5 / 5
5 / 5
Worry about your fishing, not your reel.,
March 28, 2012
By: wfosborn
from Alaska
"When I'm going out for salmon, this is the reel that gets taken along. I know no matter how much silt has been packed into it, or how feisty of a runner I hook into this reel is up to the task.
With its strong, sealed drag it is always consistent in maintaining an even stopping power, and has the strength to handle a long fight and still turn the strongest of salmon with no problems. Weight is perfect to balance out newer lighter rods to help you enjoy a full day of fishing without wearing you out.
Excellent reel, well worth the money if you want to be able to get the most out your time on the water."
Review 18 for Mirage Reels
Overall Rating: 
5 / 5
5 / 5
Smooth as Glass!,
March 23, 2012
By: TheDudeMan
from Asheville, NC
"I purchased the Mirage LA I for use on my Helios 3 wt. The drag system on these reels are amazing and can stand up to other brand reels in its class at a lower price point. The craftsmanship in this reel goes without saying. Once you hold one and really give it a good inspection, its obvious that it not only can deliver, it can do it in style!"
Review 19 for Mirage Reels
Overall Rating: 
1 / 5
1 / 5
Mirage VII Shallow Not a winner,
March 19, 2012
By: Mongo
"I used this reel this Jan through to March Fishing a variety of locations through out the South China Sea for Tuna and GTs. The face of the reel is so large it lacks torsional rigidity under load. On a big fish making high speed runs What happened (twice) was that the spool opens wide enough that the backing (gel spun) catches itself between the spool and the reel body pinching the backing (NOT Good). I lost two very niceTuna and 1 12 weight line and terminal rig. We relegated this reel to the "teaser" rig.
While it looks good this is not a big game reel"
Review 20 for Mirage Reels
Overall Rating: 
5 / 5
5 / 5
Best bang for buck!,
March 5, 2012
By: EddieMo
from Montecito/Santa Barbara
"I own 2 Abels & 1 Tibor! but why? when I can get a quality product and service at a great price? I left my home here in Montecito/Santa Barbara to my beach home here in Costa Rica and I took a chance on a match with my 10 weight Helio's and the LA V worked just as good and stood up to 8 Roosters and a 75lb & 80lb Tarpon and not mention a number of Snook. I'm a wealthy man and if I wasn't? then I would definitely pick up this at a great price and a quality product that took a beating and the drag was as smooth as my more expensive reels. Everything that me and my family have purchased from Orvis has always been satisfactory in all regards. God bless EMO"