I received an Orvis Clearwater II 9 ft, 5 wt, 4 pc midflex 7.5 for Christmas 2007. After having used this rod for fishing for 2 and a half seasons and for my fly casting class, I have some definite opinions about the rod.
- The rod is well constructed with oversized guides which I like. The blank is a beautiful blue color.
- Guide feet are securely wrapped and covered with rod epoxy.
- The grip is a half wells with cutout for the top reel foot.
- Reel Seat is an uplocking style with double locking rings. For an uplocking reel seat, I like the double rings because you don’t have to overtighten the locking rings to secure the reel. I have a tendency to crank too hard on single rings. (Over time tightening the locking rings too hard can force the bottom of the reel seat off the blank.)
- The reel seat itself is woven graphite to reduce weight and the same blue color as the blank. The reel seat hardware is high quality anodized aluminum.
- The cork grip is premium grade with any holes filled and sanded smooth. The half wells grip is one of my favorites. I can use the smaller cigar part of the grip for most fishing which is less tiring for me. Then switch farther back on to the butt of the grip for long casts.
- The guides appear to be the standard hard chrome snake guides with an oversized stripper guide lined with an insert to reduce line wear.
- The rod comes with a handsome cordura covered hard case with zipper closure and an internal divided sock.
- Priced between $169 and $219, the Clearwater II is a bargain at these prices. Rod weights 4-6 are available in both 4 and 2 piece models. Models range from 4 weight through a 10 ft 8 wt.
- The Clearwater II series is covered by the 25 year Orvis 100% satisfaction guarantee.