Orvis CFO fly reel - helpful Foot ID tip

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Brian K. Shaffer
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Orvis CFO fly reel - helpful Foot ID tip

#1

Post by Brian K. Shaffer »

Happy Holidays - too windy to fish, and I have been wanting to throw this out for a while...
Every CFO reel pictured was manufactured before the year 2000.
Study the little details from photo to photo.
You can also use the reel foot for quick ID.
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I will start with the most recent reels I am showing here - a 1990's BFR era reel / no rivets / no center hole - durable classic :

Image

This would be the 1980's rivet reel with no center hole in foot - vintage classic :

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Now we see the 1970's transitional rivet reel - leftover feet with signature first run
middle hole to the center of the foot attached to new style of spindle reel :

Image

This would be the 1970's second CFO model issued, this version with the screwback spindle
and signature first run middle hole to the center of reel foot :

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the 1st model - the writing was upside down when the angler was photographed holding a fish -

Image

Helpful links -
viewtopic.php?f=72&t=74427
viewtopic.php?f=72&t=42839&start=20

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Got take a look at your CFO model reels... you can sorta pinpoint the era of CFO IV a little better with these photos for identification help.
Last edited by Brian K. Shaffer on 12/07/21 11:49, edited 1 time in total.
" There's no such thing as a fly fisherman wholly satisfied with his casting performance. " ~ Jim Green (1971)
" Just once I wish a trout would wink at me. " ~ Brian Shaffer

Use the SEARCH for justification and reasoning.

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quadrate
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Re: Orvis CFO fly reel - helpful Foot ID tip

#2

Post by quadrate »

I have a couple of the screw-back style that are III's and have no writing at all on them. What years would they date to?

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Mike1227
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Re: Orvis CFO fly reel - helpful Foot ID tip

#3

Post by Mike1227 »

I just picked up this III in excellent shape with a spare spool. I just noticed the screw head in the spindle.

Image


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Re: Orvis CFO fly reel - helpful Foot ID tip

#4

Post by NewUtahCaneAngler »

My silver s/n version circa 1977/78 has the center hole.

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Mike1227
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Re: Orvis CFO fly reel - helpful Foot ID tip

#5

Post by Mike1227 »

quadrate wrote:
11/25/21 21:19
I have a couple of the screw-back style that are III's and have no writing at all on them. What years would they date to?
Could you provide a couple photos of the back, and foot? That would help. Also have you read through the Rusty Spinner history article?
https://therustyspinner.blogspot.com/p/ ... cfo_5.html
In the comments section there is a question about reels being made in Asia. The response is that Asian models lack writing on the back.

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Re: Orvis CFO fly reel - helpful Foot ID tip

#6

Post by Brian K. Shaffer »

Not sure without photos as Mike said above - but I would bet quadrate's reels are of the first year of production...
Or before - 30 pre-production models were said to be completely blank..

I believe the signature first run middle hole to the center of the foot to be a born on date.
The leftover feet lasted for who knows how long - but not forever.
The transitional reels are a solid best buy go-to performer.

Dating each one of these reels to an exact year is a challenge without an honest bill of sale and printed purchase date paperwork.
They made a gazillion of these reels and there are plenty to go around. Honest fishing reels with nothing to hide.
Buy two or three for your favorite sticks and see which one you like for yourself.
Nothing like the scream of the fine tuned CFO.
" There's no such thing as a fly fisherman wholly satisfied with his casting performance. " ~ Jim Green (1971)
" Just once I wish a trout would wink at me. " ~ Brian Shaffer

Use the SEARCH for justification and reasoning.

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quadrate
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Re: Orvis CFO fly reel - helpful Foot ID tip

#7

Post by quadrate »

Here are some pics of one of the screw back reels with no markings. I know who originally bought the reel and it was early 70s so its definitely an early one.

ImageIMG_0162 by Tim Zietak, on Flickr
ImageIMG_0163 by Tim Zietak, on Flickr
ImageIMG_0164 by Tim Zietak, on Flickr

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Re: Orvis CFO fly reel - helpful Foot ID tip

#8

Post by G-ManBart »

Not to be rude, but I can't see Orvis releasing reels that didn't have their name anywhere on them. That makes zero sense at all. I'm not saying the reels don't exist, but suggest they had to wind up getting out in the world some unusual path.

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Re: Orvis CFO fly reel - helpful Foot ID tip

#9

Post by JabaliHunter »

As Brian said above, I think the CFO III reels with no markings are from the very first production. They are known as pre-production models and were produced in a small number. That means they were produced in or just before 1971 as the CFOs were launched in the Orvis catalogue as a new production model (with markings) in around December 1971.

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Re: Orvis CFO fly reel - helpful Foot ID tip

#10

Post by G-ManBart »

JabaliHunter wrote:
11/28/21 03:27
As Brian said above, I think the CFO III reels with no markings are from the very first production. They are known as pre-production models and were produced in a small number. That means they were produced in or just before 1971 as the CFOs were launched in the Orvis catalogue as a new production model (with markings) in around December 1971.
Again, I didn't say they don't exist, just that they must have gotten out to the world in some unusual fashion. There's almost no chance they would have sent them to shops to sell, or sold them through the factory store. They were probably given to employees, or as presents to friends, etc. They were trying to drum up sales and notoriety for the new reel...intentionally releasing any for sale without markings would be a really dumb corporate move.

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Re: Orvis CFO fly reel - helpful Foot ID tip

#11

Post by Brian K. Shaffer »

quad - I can only imagine who is who and when and where and at what time...
Exceptional reel by the way.


It was the 1970's... It was a different time.

The true unbelievable fact - is that the Orvis CFO is continuing to be made to such high standards.

Those set forth in the 1970's.
" There's no such thing as a fly fisherman wholly satisfied with his casting performance. " ~ Jim Green (1971)
" Just once I wish a trout would wink at me. " ~ Brian Shaffer

Use the SEARCH for justification and reasoning.

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Re: Orvis CFO fly reel - helpful Foot ID tip

#12

Post by NewUtahCaneAngler »

I believe that the unmarked CFO reels were given to anglers known to Orvis' management to obtain feedback prior to ramping up production. They most likely gifted them to these anglers in exchange for their feedback. Given the timeframe of their initial release (Bamboo sales decreasing, fiberglass already mature and experiments with graphite surely in the works, I believe that they got it just right.

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Re: Orvis CFO fly reel - helpful Foot ID tip

#13

Post by G-ManBart »

NewUtahCaneAngler wrote:
11/28/21 22:27
I believe that the unmarked CFO reels were given to anglers known to Orvis' management to obtain feedback prior to ramping up production. They most likely gifted them to these anglers in exchange for their feedback. Given the timeframe of their initial release (Bamboo sales decreasing, fiberglass already mature and experiments with graphite surely in the works, I believe that they got it just right.
That makes a lot of sense for a number of reasons. If they had problems they wouldn't be tied back to Orvis and if they needed to make changes it wouldn't muddy the waters when the final production version was released. No doubt they got it right!

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Re: Orvis CFO fly reel - helpful Foot ID tip

#14

Post by jhuskey »

Posts #12 and #13 has the gist of the unmarked CFO's, and the CFO in general, great light reels!


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Re: Orvis CFO fly reel - helpful Foot ID tip

#15

Post by Brian K. Shaffer »

- gulp -

The upside down script reel... oh joy!
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________

More of these please... surely there is more than one...
" There's no such thing as a fly fisherman wholly satisfied with his casting performance. " ~ Jim Green (1971)
" Just once I wish a trout would wink at me. " ~ Brian Shaffer

Use the SEARCH for justification and reasoning.

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cdmoore
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Re: Orvis CFO fly reel - helpful Foot ID tip

#16

Post by cdmoore »

A few very small changes did come out of field testing those pre-production samples. The most significant change is that the screw tips from the dust latch on the pre-production model actually protrude very slightly right next to the spool arbor, while in the production model, a small shoulder was left on the arbor to hide them.
Last edited by cdmoore on 11/30/21 16:26, edited 1 time in total.

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Re: Orvis CFO fly reel - helpful Foot ID tip

#17

Post by archer829 »

Here's a look at another early one:


Image

Image

Image

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Re: Orvis CFO fly reel - helpful Foot ID tip

#18

Post by Brian K. Shaffer »

cdmoore wrote : a small shoulder was left on the arbor to hide them.

That is more than cool - Interesting to be in on those kinds of decisions... that little shoulder is also a major strengthening element.

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I just swallowed my tongue archer - Wowzers - what a beauty.
She looks newer than anyone I have ever seen to date unmarked.
Best looking foot - bar none!

:flash
" There's no such thing as a fly fisherman wholly satisfied with his casting performance. " ~ Jim Green (1971)
" Just once I wish a trout would wink at me. " ~ Brian Shaffer

Use the SEARCH for justification and reasoning.

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Re: Orvis CFO fly reel - helpful Foot ID tip

#19

Post by archer829 »

I just swallowed my tongue archer - Wowzers - what a beauty.
She looks newer than anyone I have ever seen to date unmarked.
Best looking foot - bar none!
Thanks! It's my first and only CFO. I had no idea these were so lightweight and so well made. Unfortunately, due to the coolness & rarity of this particular reel, I probably will end up not fishing it....which puts me right back to square one in my search for a CFO. Such is the life of a classic fly rod fisherman, I guess.

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Re: Orvis CFO fly reel - helpful Foot ID tip

#20

Post by Brian K. Shaffer »

archer - I would also not fish that reel... which makes complete sense. Let me know if you ever need one.

The market is full of CFO's - but you really have to spin one in hand to make sure it running true.
Or as I always say - buy from a reputable dealer of classic tackle.

Such is the life indeed. Ain't it great ~
" There's no such thing as a fly fisherman wholly satisfied with his casting performance. " ~ Jim Green (1971)
" Just once I wish a trout would wink at me. " ~ Brian Shaffer

Use the SEARCH for justification and reasoning.

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