Orvis Clearwater or Rocky Mountain reel?

I posted here three weeks ago for advice on the subject of my old Fenwick #7 rod and taking up fly fishing. I have been doing some reading to get up to speed in the interim. Now I want to elicit opinions on a reel comparison and I figured this would be the place to ask Which reel would you recommend (for trout) out of these two, an Orvis Clearwater and an Orvis
Rocky Mountain?

Also, I'd like to thank all who posted responses to my original thread.

One guy suggested I find a fly shop with "a couple of scruffy characters drinking coffee" and have them sell me some line and flies and install the line for me. Well I went, but I won't be going back. I took my 30-year old rod and walked into a place in Los Angeles that specialises in fly fishing and the the experience made we wonder whether I really wanted to take up fly fishing at all. Now I don't know whether it was because I wasn't actually waving a credit card at him or because it was nearly closing time, but the guy looked at me like I was something on the underneath of his shoe. I will not go back there if I have to drive an extra hundred miles to buy flies and a reel.

Thanks for letting me vent, and for any opinions on my reel choices

Again, my thanks to all who posted. This is a nice group. I didn't get too many opinions on which would make the better reel for me (a beginner) - the
Orvis "Rocky Mountain" or the "Clearwater"? Can I get some more? The price difference is only about $12, but I have read and heard that the reel makes little difference for trout fishing.

keen fly fisherman and who lives and fishes locally. I am going to have a drink with him next week, so I will be able to stop bugging you people for advice. Woohoo!

Serious about flyfishing or not, I can't imagine putting down roots in LA, but to each his---or her---own. You might be surprised, though, at the number of wild trout streams within a very short drive of the Hollywood sign. Browns and 'bows, some of respectable size. Stretch that drive to an hour-and-a-half, and you're looking at native trout in a very remote location. Sorry, but if I was any more specific in a public forum I'd get a midnight visit from an LA flyfishing club's death squad
Bill

You found a flyshop in LA with "a couple of scruffy characters drinking coffee[?]"

Op --order on-line and save the gas--

We've all been there. There's a fly shop about 60 miles north of us, the only one within about an hours drive. It's in heavy duty tourist country. I've been in there twice. Both times I was given the once over , followed by the kind of look I used to get from some of my first wife's rich relatives ( a strange look combining condescension with antipathy) and then ignored. Phooey on them.

As far as the reels go, the Rocky Mountain is probably a bit heavier than the
Clearwater and may balance your fiberglass Fenwick a bit better. Also it has a better drag IIRC (the Clearwater still has the plain, unadjustable click and pawl,right?)

I bought a clearwater reel about a year ago, and haven't been doing any heavy fishing, but I did do a little salt water fishing with it. I would vote for the clearwater. Even after fishing in the "big blue" it is still holding up very nicley. The reel that I have has two click and pawl thingies on it, and there is one drag adjustment to adjust both. I have the 3/4 model, and I would have to say it is nicest little reel I've ever owned.(out of all 3 of them!) It balences the three forks rod I have VERY well. I would think that the clearwater would be just fine on your #7, plus, it's much cheaper than the other one.

I just looked at the Orvis web site and notice that the Rocky Mountain reels are on sale - a really good price. However, and this is of concern..., they don't show prices for spare spools *or* the Rocky Mountain cartridges, and
*also* they don't have CFO reels in the on-line catalog. Does anybody know if they discontinued those?

And to Dan, I own a couple of older Clearwater reels and have not had any problems with them. These days I keep then in reserve as spares and loaners. The big difference with the Rocky Mountain is the use of cartridges which are cheaper than extra spools. I always buy at least one extra spool - in case I destroy one and the reel goes off the market. If I really like a reel, I buy several spools.

We forgot to mention that there needed to be a river within 10 miles of the shop, too. I can't imagine a fly shop of any quality at all being in LA, since anyone who places a high priority on the flyfishing life sure wouldn't want to put down roots in LA.

I was at Orvis/Manchester a few weeks ago,(daughter bought me a B-Kill Bar
Stock III for my B-day <G>, and there were very few CFO's in the reel display.
They still had the smaller spring and pawl models on sale, and a few disc drag models on display. Don't know if they are planning on discontinuing them or maybe they are low on stock. The spring and pawl models will likely be gone when present stock is sold out. {

Picked up a couple of unboxed fly lines (Redington's I think) for a buck apiece at the tent sale. There were some good deals on rods, but nothing I needed.
Lots of dog beds too. {

George Adams

"All good fishermen stay young until they die, for fishing is the only dream of youth that doth not grow stale with age."

Good question. The Rocky Mountain looks a lot like the BFR Rimfly.

Aren't the Rocky Mountains made by BFR? I don't think they have discontinued all their cartridge reels.

What ever you do, be sure that they install your backing and fly line in the direction of your choice. We still get people in that have bought stuff mail order and it is not put together. There is no charge for this service in most good fly shops if you purchase it there.

If you get tired of all this, just call us on my USA toll free phone number seven days a week and we will take good care of you. We have all that stuff in stock, can put it together right and ship it out that same day.

It is sad that many don't have a "good" fly shop within driving distance of their home.

I have a couple of Rocky Mountain reels. They're quieter than click pawl reels which I like. The disc drag works well. I bought the second reel for redundancy. I believe the cassette spools are $15.00 now.