Orvis Ratings and Reviews
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Clearwater 5-weight 9' Fly Rod
3¼ oz. 9', 4-piece, Fly Rod for 5-wt. line.A 9-foot 5-weight fly rod is pretty standard fare in trout towns from Alaska to Maine, but our Clearwater 905-4 is anything but ordinary. Never before has there been such a quality rod at such an affordable price. With all-new profiles and tapers taken directly from our award-winning Helios technology, the 9-foot 5-weight Clearwater combines lightweight power with exceptional line control, resulting in a true multipurpose rod for trout bums and beyond.
Average Customer Rating:
Rating Snapshot (20 reviews)
5 stars
16
4 stars
3
3 stars
0
2 stars
0
1 star
1
19 of 20(95%)reviewers would recommend this product to a friend.
Customer Stories:
Customer Reviews for Clearwater 5-weight 9' Fly Rod
Review 1 for Clearwater 5-weight 9' Fly Rod
Overall Rating:
Best all around rod I own,
May 25, 2013
By: PAFF
from Pennsylvania
"This rod is the best all around rod I have. I have used this rod to catch trout, carp, bass, and small pike, and it has handled all fish and presentations fantastically."
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Review 2 for Clearwater 5-weight 9' Fly Rod
Overall Rating:
Solid buy,
May 23, 2013
By: Dpossley
"Great action, well balanced, light but durable. Very nice travel case that I can toss in the back of my truck."
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Review 3 for Clearwater 5-weight 9' Fly Rod
Overall Rating:
Outstanding Rod!,
May 2, 2013
By: bowhuntpa1
from Pittsburgh PA
"I bought the 9 ft 8wt Combo and the 9 ft 5 wt combo. These combos are everything that Orvis said they were. Easy casting and very strong. I would buy these combos again."
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Review 4 for Clearwater 5-weight 9' Fly Rod
Overall Rating:
Fast and Light,
April 16, 2013
By: mthole
from British Columbia Canada
"Great rod fast action and light weight.Only wish it had alignment dots on the ferils. For easier assembly."
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Review 5 for Clearwater 5-weight 9' Fly Rod
Overall Rating:
Doesn't get much better!,
April 5, 2013
By: WarmSunshine
from Liberty Lake, WA
"I am in awww of my new fly rod! I've only been fly fishing for two years, but I can tell this rod and I will have a great love affair for years to come!"
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Review 6 for Clearwater 5-weight 9' Fly Rod
Overall Rating:
Disappointment,
March 31, 2013
By: trout1234
"After getting this rod for christmas I was excited to finally get to use it, as it has been very cold where I live and everything has been iced over.
I've used this rod 5 times in the last week and tonight marked the 6th time using it. I was in complete shock and disappointment when tonight I hooked a large trout and my rod snapped at the very bottom where it's suppose to be the strongest. I've had my other non-orvis rod for 19 years with no problems at all, but I use this 6 times and it snaps on me. Very poor quality rod and would not recommend this rod or any orvis rods to anyone. I've fished with many rods in my time but never have I witnessed such a poorly made rod. Very disappointed."
I've used this rod 5 times in the last week and tonight marked the 6th time using it. I was in complete shock and disappointment when tonight I hooked a large trout and my rod snapped at the very bottom where it's suppose to be the strongest. I've had my other non-orvis rod for 19 years with no problems at all, but I use this 6 times and it snaps on me. Very poor quality rod and would not recommend this rod or any orvis rods to anyone. I've fished with many rods in my time but never have I witnessed such a poorly made rod. Very disappointed."
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Review 7 for Clearwater 5-weight 9' Fly Rod
Overall Rating:
Great Rod, Great Service,
February 11, 2013
By: LastCastBrown
"I ordered this rod to replace my (non-orvis) 5 wt that broke on my last trip to the Blue Ridge Mountains, NC. Its a very good rod. Service experience was great. 25 year warranty is AWESOME! Its nice to know that if anything happens to my rod, Orvis will take care of it for me."
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Review 8 for Clearwater 5-weight 9' Fly Rod
Overall Rating:
nice combo,but...,
January 14, 2013
By: streamcruiser
"I love the way this rod and reel perform.I also think the reel looks cool. The part i dont like is this crack in the cork handle, that i noticed unwrapping it."
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Review 9 for Clearwater 5-weight 9' Fly Rod
Overall Rating:
First Fly Rod,
December 6, 2012
By: RomanL
from S. California
"after tons of research i bought this 905-4 Clearwater Rod+Reel+Line combo. and i couldn't be happier. i also took ORVIS 101 class and received a discount on this set up for taking the class (everyone should take it at their local ORVIS Store, its great)
Rod casts/fishes great. its medium flex is perfect for smooth and accurate casts.
Clearwater LAII reel is great as well. drag system is very precise.
and i was also extremely impressed with ORVIS Customer service/warranty. i had a small issue few month after purchasing this rod, they sent me a brand new one with in 2 weeks,, and local store landed me ACCESS rod while mine was out for warranty.
rod casts DRY's, NYMPH's and STREAMERs(if not too large) really well. so perfect all around rod."
Rod casts/fishes great. its medium flex is perfect for smooth and accurate casts.
Clearwater LAII reel is great as well. drag system is very precise.
and i was also extremely impressed with ORVIS Customer service/warranty. i had a small issue few month after purchasing this rod, they sent me a brand new one with in 2 weeks,, and local store landed me ACCESS rod while mine was out for warranty.
rod casts DRY's, NYMPH's and STREAMERs(if not too large) really well. so perfect all around rod."
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Review 10 for Clearwater 5-weight 9' Fly Rod
Overall Rating:
Want to pick up Fly Fishing!? This is your Fly rod,
November 29, 2012
By: NMRamallo
from PAtagonia, Argentina
"I bought it last june, first time ever with a fly rod,... light weight, excellent performance, excellent builded!
If you are a beginner, this is your fly rod!"
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Review 11 for Clearwater 5-weight 9' Fly Rod
Overall Rating:
Love the outfit,
August 14, 2012
By: gottaflyrod
from woodlands, tx
"I had the 4wt for about a month and a half now maybe to and love it specially for hitting the creek. It's an awesome rod cast smoothly only complaint is the cork on the handle where my thumb goes is cracking not sure if it was like that when I got it but was like the two weeks after using so just check your rod it's still worth the price I can still send it in just hard right now cause I've been fishing everyday for a month(I put it to good use). If your looking for a great rod fly rod without spending your whole pay check it's the way to go! only reason I don't give it a five was the cork."
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Review 12 for Clearwater 5-weight 9' Fly Rod
Overall Rating:
Beginners luck!,
July 24, 2012
By: Tarrow
from KS
"I've always wanted to try fly fishing and finally took the plunge. Not knowing a thing about it, Orvis was recommended to me by a buddy. Still not knowing much, I spent hours on the Orvis website watching video and reading reviews. Being a middle of the road kind of guy, I settled on the Clearwater combo Orvis offers. First off, there were some back order issues with some of the components of the combo. After speaking with some of the customer service folks about it, they were able to sort the issue out via one of the retail stores. The reel, line, and backing shipped from a retail store and the rod from Orvis HQ. Right out of the box, I could see I had chosen wisely going with Orvis. You do not need to know anything about fly fishing to know quality when you see it. Practiced a bit in the back yard and a week later hit the water. A resounding success! Limited out and had a great time learning a new sport Thanks to the excellent customer service team at Orvis and an excellent product, I'm happy to say I intend to be a lifelong Orvis customer. Due to the foul up with the back order situation, I think I may have another reel coming my way. I think I'm going to try and keep it and buy another great Orvis rod to put it on.
Now the product: quality all around for a decent price. I had zero malfunctions despite not really knowing what I was doing. The action on the 9' 5wt Clearwater was amazing. Very easy to cast even though I'm new to it. Sensitive to the point of being ridiculous. Of course I've never even thought to spend $200 on a rod alone until I started researching fly rods where $200 just scratches the surface. 25 year guarantee is nice. I had particularly good results roll casting. I've learned the reel doesn't do much but I loved the Clearwater reel just the same. Drag worked consistently and smoothly. If you are looking for that entry level set up, I would definitely recommend the Clearwater combo. Even if you are a longtime fly fisher, this would probably fit the bill too."
Now the product: quality all around for a decent price. I had zero malfunctions despite not really knowing what I was doing. The action on the 9' 5wt Clearwater was amazing. Very easy to cast even though I'm new to it. Sensitive to the point of being ridiculous. Of course I've never even thought to spend $200 on a rod alone until I started researching fly rods where $200 just scratches the surface. 25 year guarantee is nice. I had particularly good results roll casting. I've learned the reel doesn't do much but I loved the Clearwater reel just the same. Drag worked consistently and smoothly. If you are looking for that entry level set up, I would definitely recommend the Clearwater combo. Even if you are a longtime fly fisher, this would probably fit the bill too."
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Review 13 for Clearwater 5-weight 9' Fly Rod
Overall Rating:
great rod great price..,
July 8, 2012
By: SilverKing90
from Miami, Florida
"As a "Orvis endorsed" fishing guide here in Florida I have had a ton of rods and have a ton of rods. I have 3-4-5wt clearwater rods for trout when I leave town and bass here in the glades. They are a great rods at a great price. They are not super fast but not super slow for casting but somewhere right in the middle. And 'what I brought them for!!!! For steelhead on the great lakes with an egg pattern or nymph or triple threat with a cone weight, big bass in the glades with my custom poppers or on the Juan with a 28# Adams these Clearwater rods work period and they wont break the bank. I now have over 20 Orvis rods from the Helios to the Clearwaters and have only broke one or two of them guiding in 4 years. My point? For $200.00 these rods will bring home the bacon and are a pleasure to cast. Buy one and you will be happy with it like I am.
*
Captain Dave Hunt"
*
Captain Dave Hunt"
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Review 14 for Clearwater 5-weight 9' Fly Rod
Overall Rating:
Worth the investment,
June 27, 2012
By: MattL
from Winooski, VT
"I was not very interested in the older model clearwaters, I had picked one up at my local fly shop, noticed it was heavy, and very slow for a 5 wt. I noticed they came out with a new rod this year, so I ended up spotting one at my local fly shop, picked it up and noticed a huge weight difference. At only 3 1/4 oz for a 9' rod, it's as light as most of the higher end rods. It feels more responsive than its previous years model, and paired with a lightweight reel, this setup is like fishing with a cloud in your hand."
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Review 15 for Clearwater 5-weight 9' Fly Rod
Overall Rating:
Outstanding,
June 5, 2012
By: JD79
from Western New York
"Upgraded to this rod/reel combo (9' 5W) from the very basic rod/reel I had used for the last 2 years as I learned to flyfish. It is outstanding. Casts very smooth. The folks at the local Orvis could not have been more helpful in setting it up also."
1 of 1 people found this review helpful.
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Review 16 for Clearwater 5-weight 9' Fly Rod
Overall Rating:
2012 Orvis Rods Are Very Reliable,
April 7, 2012
By: SCTarpon
from Bluffton, SC
"Orvis makes a great rod in the Clearwater 5W 9' ... it's flex, 4 piece assembly make it very user friendly ... although not the most expensive rod used by our foursome on my last fly trip (April, 2012); the Clearwater caught just as many fish as others costing three and four times more. It's a fine piece of equipment that I'll protect and enjoy for many years."
2 of 2 people found this review helpful.
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Review 17 for Clearwater 5-weight 9' Fly Rod
Overall Rating:
Great rod,
March 9, 2012
By: bugchucker01
"I have difficulty finding a modern fly rod that fits my casting profile (I like them slower than most). I assembled my new clearwater and gave it the wiggle test and I giggled. I then put a reel on it and took it to a local lake for practice casting. Loads easily and casts with literally no effort. Love it"
2 of 2 people found this review helpful.
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Review 18 for Clearwater 5-weight 9' Fly Rod
Overall Rating:
Better than they say...,
January 10, 2012
By: Chimborazo
from Richmond, VA
"Orvis calls this rod "good", but I really think that's a bit of an understatement. Granted, I don't have a lot of fly fishing experience, but this rod is fantastic. I bought the 5wt (9' mid flex) a few months ago and this rod casts really well for me (and that says a lot because I'm a pretty rotten caster with any other rod I've used). You can purchase this rod with confidence."
1 of 1 people found this review helpful.
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Ratings-Only Reviews for Clearwater 5-weight 9' Fly Rod
Based on the average of (2) ratings-only reviews
Overall Rating:
Would recommend? Yes 2 out of 2