Saturday, May 7, 2022

ORVIS FLY FISHING - The New C.F.O. III Fly Reel is Here

There's been a lot of rumors floating around about the future of the Orvis C.F.O. III fly reel and after the launch and selling out of less than 200 C.F.O. III 50th Anniversary Reels within a day, the second phase of their re-introduction went into effect.
 
For the last year or so, the latest C.F.O. prototypes have been pawed on and field tested by all the product designers at Orvis and of course, Tom Rosenbauer had to test and sign off on the growling purr of the click and pawl drag to make sure it's just right. 

The new C.F.O. fly reel is made in the same New Hampshire shop as a growing number of Orvis fly reels, tools, and accessories.  It's great to see this shop getting busier and busier with stateside made fly fishing gear of the highest quality. 
 
If you want a glimpse behind the shop curtain, check out 'Where "Made in U.S.A." is Made' from a few years ago on a trip to the Vermont based mothership (home office), the Orvis Rod Factory, and over to the nearby fly reel factory for a look as well.  
 

Here's the specifications of the C.F.O. III fly reels...
  • USA-made revival of reel designer Stan Bogdan’s iconic 1971 reel
  • Type III anodizing is durable and resists corrosion
  • Converts from left- to right-hand retrieve
  • Line weights 3-5
  • Classic click-and-pawl design is a pleasure to fish
  • Neoprene reel case included
  • Priced at $329 for the fly reel
  • Additional spools available for $169


As of this morning it appears that the current stock is sold out and orders placed will be fulfilled the first week of June.  If my experience with Orvis rings true on this, their orders usually arrive before whatever back-order date is posted on the website. 

Check out the C.F.O. III fly reel online and then figure out which of your glass (or bamboo) fly rods are in need of an upgrade. 
 

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