I got my new LL Bean fishing catalog today and in it is a new UL reel called the Pocket Water. This new reel looks very similar to the Cortland Retro but with a slightly different porting scheme. It's priced right at 79.00. Neither the catalog or the website give any specs on the reel which is a little frustrating, so I'm going to call Bean and see what I can find out. Along with the new reel is a Pocket Water rod series that looks pretty sharp but only has one UL rod. I also got the new Orvis catalog and saw some new rods in the Clearwater series that look interesting so I guess I'll pay a visit to the Orvis store and do some casting in the coming days. Anyway just a little headsup.

Thanks for the heads up on the reel and the sale. Gotta love the free shipping!

Wish Cabelas had free shipping... They're pretty strategic about not letting their sales coincide with free shipping offers.

For a handful of dollars more, you can always look into the Forbes reels. They have a pretty nice ultralight reel:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/290615209870?ss ... 1423.l2649

http://www.jaustinforbes.com/avon.html

Here is the link and a view of the backside of the Pocket Water reel:

http://www.llbean.com/llb/shop/72813?pi ... d_shopping

I just went to the mailbox and the new LL bean catalog was in there with a picture

This reel looks nice enough with front machining that mirrors the rear, but the 4 oz weight would be a deal breaker.

Albertyi, welcome to the forum. Thanks for taking the plunge on the Pocket Water reel. I'm looking foward to your review. What other reels do you have to compare it to?

Thanks for the welcome. For the price point on a 100%-satisfaction-guaranteed lifetime-warrantied machined-aluminum fly reel (and a 15%-off LL Bean coupon code on top of that), it's hard not to bite.

As far as other reels to compare to, nothing that small. For comparison, I have a Martin Classic MC56, a Pfleuger Supreme 1856, a Galvan Rush R6, and a Galvan Rush R8. Since I have the range from cheap-made-in-China-K-Mart-special to special-ordered-and-handcrafted-in-a-remote-Sierra-town, I'll be keeping a close eye on fit, finish, and balance.

I'll be loading it up with Sage Ultimate Performance Taper Freshwater in 3 weight (and maybe Silver Label in 4 weight if I can make a trip out to my local Orvis this weekend to make use of in-store discounts... yes it's only $24 online but discounts are discounts! ).

Speaking of discounts, I'll be posting a huge fatty discount on rods that I discovered last night in a separate post.

- Albert

Second that!

Today I was rained out from work. And just by chance today was the day I got my new Pocket Water reel. Fit and finish are very nice, with the spool fitting tightly to the frame. The reel has a pleasant purr to the click/pawl. Size wise it reminds me somewhat of my Battenkill 3/4 spring/pawl reels except it has a full cage behind the palming rim. If you can live with the weight, (3.8oz empty), this might be something for you all to look into. When loaded it will balance my graphite UL rods in the middle of the grip, just where I like it. I took advantage of the 15% off from Bean, making the cost of the reel 67.15 to my door. For that price it's an outstanding buy. To me it compares very favorably to the Cortland Retro. It looks like the two reels share some parts, so I'm curious to know if their made in the same factory. More to come when I'll compare the two on the water.

A couple of photos.
I like the looks of gloss black metal latch cover, counter weight and drag adjustment knob. The click and pawl system is interesting, a variation of the Hardy Lightweight series.
Overall nice classic styling and great value.