Please remember that there are no ads on this page and 100% of our funding comes from your purchases, so if you find this review to be informative, please help us keep the reviews coming by purchasing your next fly reel from us.
Orvis is no stranger to our shootouts. In fact they’ve either won an award or placed in the top 5 in every single shootout we’ve done. That’s a pretty good track record of making great products. The latest from the evil geniuses at Orvis is the Orvis Mirage USA Fly Reel. It sits on top of the Orvis lineup as their high performance and high end reel. What’s new is that this reel is made right here in the US of A. We think that’s a stellar upgrade.
8-Weight Shootout Full Results
Weight
9.1 ounces. Really getting heavy.
Drag
The Mirage is equipped with an all new single turn drag. Traditionally, we don’t really like these because they don’t offer enough adjustability. The Orvis is no exception. It maxes out at an impressive 10.3lbs, all of which is usable (that ranks it in the top 5)! Turn it a quarter turn, this gets knocked down to less than 5lbs. Turn it another quarter (to half), and you’re at a mere 1.5lbs (14%). The drag adjustments stops at a very reasonable .3lbs which will prevent free spooling.
What’s weird about this is that Orvis touts its ‘asymmetrical drag’ as a feature. It’s hard for me to see a real world application where I’d want an equal amount of adjustability between 0 and 1.5lbs as I want between 1.5 and 10lbs.
Drag Test Graph
Sound
Nothing special here. It’s not bad, but it’s fairly muted in both directions.
Spool & Retrieval Rate
Orvis gets spools. The Mirage picks up line at a whopping 9.9” per turn. It’s in the top 5 of all reels tested. The Mirage’s ported spool gives you plenty of backing capacity as well, but it came at the expense of a slightly wider spool.
Looks & Ergonomics
What’s the biggest area of improvement in the new reel? Look and feel. Orvis upped its game bigtime here and delivered a great looking reel that is fitting of the quality we’ve come to expect. They’ve also delivered on the ergonomic front with a top notch drag knob that’s one of our favorites. The handle is not too shabby either.
Finish and durability
Last but not least, Orvis added a great finish to the new Mirage. 3 years ago when we did our 5-weight shootout, we found that a type 3 anodize was MUCH harder and stronger than other finishes. The Mirage has proved to be no exception. It’s got a super durable finish.
Warranty
Lifetime to the original owner + $30.
Price: $650
Conclusion
I must say I really enjoy it when manufacturers make their products better. This is a perfect example of a reel (and a company) that takes something good and just keeps innovating and making it better. While the Mirage didn’t win our shootout this year, it’s really, really, close. In fact, it’s as good as or better than the CCF X2 across many categories. It just missed out in a few categories that kept it from taking first place.
Buy it with Free Shipping here.
Ben Freeman founded Trident Fly Fishing in 2012 to cut through the marketing fluff and provide anglers with the technical info they actually need. He’s built his reputation by putting gear to the ultimate test in the world’s most unforgiving fisheries. With fishing stamps from over 22 countries and 17+ states, Ben’s passport is a roadmap of bucket list angling—from landing a 25lb Golden Dorado in Bolivia and 150lb Arapaima in Guyana to sight-casting for Roosterfish off the beaches in Baja. Whether it’s battling 60+mph winds to land a 20lb Rainbow at Jurassic Lake or a full day of casting 8in streamers in Mongolia, Ben has spent decades ensuring his gear performs when a trip of a lifetime is on the line.
At Trident, Ben serves as the lead gear geek, specializing in the deep-dive mechanics of rods, reels, and lines. Over the past 15 years, he's reviewed 250+ fly rods and 150+ fly reels and is likely one of the most prolific rod reviewers in the world. But he doesn't just curate the catalog; he scrutinizes every taper and drag system through the lens of a traveling angler who knows what it's like to have gear fail a thousand miles from home. For Ben, the mission is simple: leverage his experience across nearly 100 species to ensure that when you head into the wild, you’re equipped with gear that has been vetted by someone who has actually been there.
Comments
(0)No comments yet. Be the first!