Why not keep buying shit when you're poor? Rad reels, done dirt cheap. And. Well, other shit. Because I spent money. Fuck me this is a long title, eh?

Let's just start off with something. I like shit that clicks. The clickier the better. Ergo, I like clicky reels. When they've got pawls instead of space age material drags, then they're old school and I'm even more into them.

Turns out a friend calls reels like that rattlesnakes. That's a fantastic term. Bank it.

So, anyways, clicky shit. I dig it. I don't, however, have the sort of cash for a Hardy Princess or other small, light clicky reel. Classics bore me, although until recently an Ocean City 35 was my small 3wt reel.

Until recently. Meet the LL Bean Pocket Water. Its awesome shit, and its under $80.


Let it be known, I'd really like a Hardy Princess, or an Abel Creek. The Abel should be anodized with the skull picture, coz that's how I roll. If you, Abel, are reading htis shit and send me one of these things (or a Trout, whatevs) I will use the fuck out of it, and will picture it constantly. Its an awesome return on investment.

Until that day, I need to try and save cash, which is why instead of Hardys and Abels, I buy Ocean Cities (ignore the CFOs, please, they're not germaine to this discussion). So, when Bean ran its yearly fishing weekend with 20% off, I thought long and hard about buying me a reel. When I was given a $10 coupon after buying a pair of boots (we'll come to that later), it was a no brainer, coz I'd get another card, too. So, $79-$26, plus $10 back meant for $43 I'd have a sweet reel with a lifetime gauruntee.

I'd buy another tomorrow, seriously, if they had any. They don't. I got the last one, and they're back ordered 'til July.

Its a completely machined aluminum reel, and nearly all metal at that. The only plastic on the reel are a few small things, the handle, spool cap, and spring adjust dial. Everything else, metal, solid one piece frame, screwed on reel seat (which proudly bears its Made in China label).

There's no add-on line guard, its basically just the machiend reel but its not needed anyways. Design of the reel means you can't trap the line during use. It also means you can easily trap the line (and crush/cut it) during removal of the spool. Stay sober.

Use one or both of the pawls, for, uh, hard fighting fish, I guess? Whatever. Left or right, one or two, whatever. Spare. Do what thou wilt and all that shit.

Move the dial, there's a plate that goes up. Up pushes against spring, tension, etc. I've never seen one like this before, however, I am not an expert. Considering this last year there was also teh Cortland Retro and the Redington Drift, I can imagine that this is one or the other. There's also a Greys, I think. Greys made the Bean Streamlight. So, why not? I'd say, "maybe I'll buy one," but fuck that, I'll buy another one of these.

Bean. Lifetime walk in money back satisfaction garuntee. Dude, I can drive nails with this, decide its not built to do that and thus below my standards and the Beaners'll be like, "biggity bam, phat cash back." I bet dicks do that. I am not a dick.

Well, like that. But yeah, basically that's the shit. I've already been told when inquiring about some cheap thing I needed, "if it breaks, just get a new one."

That's how they sold me my boots, man.

 My old boots were suck. I kept falling. It sucked. They were split up the side. It was time for awesome new boots. I spent too much. I bought boots like a wife buy's shoes. Seriously, even with 20% back (actually, they price matched me three weeks later coz Bean service and threat of just taking them back and buying them anyways absue service dickhole move but price match my shit).

Anyways. I don't know they call them. River Rapid or something. You'd think I'd tell you since, y'know, review but whatever. I'm lazy do so fucking research.

River Tread? Or is that the riveted version. I didn't do that. I bought screws for tires, but haven't bothered yet.

They fit like real shoes, at least compared to old abortions. Super comfy awesome fun. They got this fucked up crank thing, no laces. Boa closure or something. Its rad. You just twist it and the wires close up, pop it off and they loosen up. Easy and comfy. Worth the $150 or whatever I ended up paying. I suspect it breaks, but I will definatly use the bean return for that, coz that would suck. Figure if they last for 4-5 years of solid use, I get my cash and then buy new ones instead of just making them repalce for life because I'm not a dick. But yeah, tehse things are super friends awesome power boots.

I just didn't tell wife what they cost.

Addendum, 4.9.12: The Pocket Water reel? Its a re-badged Cortland Retro. Period. End of discussion. The Cabela's "fly fishing" catalogue was nice enough to have internal shots of the Cortland posted. Ergo, everything I said in praise of the Pocket Water can be said for the Cortland. I'd buy the shit out of the Cortland if I wanted a cheapy rattlesnake (see what I did there? I said rattlesnake instead of click-and-pawl).