hi guys, thinking of buying a new reel for my rod, something tough, reliable and not too pricey...i love the look of the battenkill reels so thinking to go for one of them although i noticed there are a few. any recommendations on which one would suit best?

i would need it for a #6 line/rod which i do most of my river/loch/fishery fishing on...

any advice appreciated, a few seem to be at the £100 mark which is about right price wise, although is the large arbour one worth the extra fifty odd quid?

cheers,
tosh

I have the large arbour but also had the mid arbour both are good, the large arbour being lighter and a faster retrieve but its up to personal choice,great after service as well ,i sold the mid arbour to a member on here

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GAIA INSTRUCTOR

I had the mid arbor and it was a very nice reel, I'd imagine all the battenkills are sweet reels.

thanks for the replies.
the only criticism i've read about is that the mid arbour is slightly heavy? do you guys feels this has been an issue with yours or is a very minor concern..

Yes it is slightly heavier, but not a big problem, you would probably need an LA111 in order to get a #6 line on, and that is quite a large reel, so it's swings and roundabouts. The last model LA11 will only just take a #5 with micro backing and not much of it either.
Have you considered the Lamsons ? or is your heart set on an Orvis.

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"A glint of sun has warmed the air,The flies will soon hatch out, To lure and tempt from their deep lair, The bonnie speckled trout." SKB tackle supporter. I love Furled Leaders.

i've not considered the lamsons before, are they are good reliable reel? i do some sea trout fishing around shetland too so would the reel suit this purpose also? (salt water safe). my heart is not overly set on an orvis, i just like the plain or more traditional look of the black reels like the orvis mid arbour reel, but if there are any other reels that are worth a look in my price range of up to 150 i'm more than happy to hear about them. would the lamson velocity v2 be a good alternative? around 160 i think i just saw on tackle bargains.

Pfleuger Trion!

Not much to beat it for the price.

I agree with Ron, much cheaper and foolproof. About the same weight as a mid arbor Orvis as well.
S.

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"A glint of sun has warmed the air,The flies will soon hatch out, To lure and tempt from their deep lair, The bonnie speckled trout." SKB tackle supporter. I love Furled Leaders.

funny enough my friend just bought a trion in the summer, i like it although its a little too shiny for me. i'm happy to pay a little extra for the orvis mid arbour as i like the look of it. so finally, the orvis mid arbour III would be the one to suit my #6?

Hear Hear! - Excellent reel and if anything underpriced.

I have a Battenkill LA, and wouldn't recommend it for the money. it's a good reel, but i don't like the drag, and as i fight my fish off the reel, a good drag is important. the Trion mentioned above has a far better drag. - worth bearing in mind if you're planning to use the reel for sea trout.