Orvis Battenkill Click--Reel Foot Bummer

[billems]

I bought two of the Orvis Battenkill click/pawl reels last winter. I fish with an early 2003 made Jenkins rod with a standard REC cap-and-ring seat. The reels are made with thick reel feet and kept falling off the rod, usually when I had a fish on. I emailed Orvis to ask about a foot replacement or whether it was advisable to file it down. The Orvis rep sent me an email in which he wrote, "The only really way to resolve this is to use a period correct reel with a slimmer reel foot." Period correct? It's a reel seat they still sell. Geeze, I guess I have a incorrect period reel seat!

[mer]

That is an odd statement from them. I have a few of those reels, I don't recall running into issues on any of my rods, I do recall thinking the feet were a little thick.
Now as for fixing it? I think there are 2 ways of doing it. Take it off the top or off the bottom. Off the top you can limit it to about a half inch on each end (I would do both as evenly as possible). Off the bottom, I think you do the whole length.
Probably not taking off a whole lot of material so I don't think any strength is lost, but you will most likely go through the anodizing. On the top, you will have a color mismatch that is visible. On the bottom, you will also have a mismatch, but it won't be visible.
The aluminum will oxidize but you may want to protect it with something (not sure what).

Or you could use this as an excuse to by a new rod that fits your reel foot.

[JabaliHunter]

I don’t know who makes the Battenkill for Orvis, but the Abel made CFO (and most other Abel’s) had the same issue. It’s not just that the feet are too thick, they also have a really steep angle to them, although they are not alone and not the worst either. I remember when the T&T double-hander Spey rods came out (1990s?) - some of the newer US made reels at the time wouldn’t even fit the reel seat at all (Lamson maybe?) they were so big. Even current Hardy reel feet have become thicker, especially the CNC s/n versions compared with the older versions (e.g. on the Hardy Bros. badged Lightweight series).

[jim royston]

I was under the impression that the reel foot was standardized by the AFTMA and that recently made reels (within the last 10-20 years) conform to it.

[billems]

My beef has nothing to do with the reel; I was just seeking advice. What got under my skin was the comment about recommending a "period correct reel seat."

[jimwright]

No matter how Orvis worded it, not every reel foot fits every reel seat! One thing you can do is take a wooden dowel app. the same diameter as your seat where the reel mounts, snugly wrap wet/dry sand paper around it and take the concave bottom of your reel foot down to fit. If the foot is re-movable you could contact Orvis and get a new one to fit other reel seats if needed. I suspect if you told Orvis your issue when ordering the spare foot they may well not charge you for it.

[Brian K. Shaffer]

Tell them you wrote this article and they definately would not charge you for it. ?!
Just please do report back with what happens. Don't leave it hanging... open ended.

Because to me - you got the wrong guy on the phone is all.
Call back and ask for the fly fishing department.
I find this disturbing...

Especially for Orvis.

[Don Luke]

Found this forum trying to find out why my Orvis 8wt, made in England will not fit my Orvis 8wt. Deschutes 9 ft. rod. Foot to big seemed to be the problems others are having, me too. Got in touch with Orvis, and their reply was "We are sorry". In and effort to not have my reel fall off, I went back to the old days when a reel was held on by a metal band. I went to a silver smith near by and had him make two silver bands 1mm wide, about the size of a 11 on a ring sizer. (one is a spare). I took off the end, and screw washer, put on the band whixh slid up to the front of the foot and held the reel firmly in place. The silver smith charged me $10. Sizes of bands may differ but the result is a reel that won't fall off. Hope this helps someone.