thinking of getting a 9ft. 4pcs. 8wt. blank. wondering what the word is on the new loomis glx blanks. what is the action? what would you compair it to? i enjoy using loomis but have heard that since they went to shimano the blanks are not what they used to be. any and all opinions are greatly appreciatted.....thanks

As far as I know the GLX blanks haven't changed except in the marketing side, colors, etc. I don't think they are as picky as they used to be as far as blank straightness. That said every GLX I've fished in any configuration has been a fine rod. I've owned a 4 piece 6 wt since the early days and have had a PR 844 GLX replaced when a tip broke, but I think I touched the anchor line with the blank when a big red went under the bow, so it's not the rods fault. They have to use seperate equipment to build these blanks from their other lines due to the different requirements for the special graphite. I heard a rumor from Vern Dollar that the GLX may soon be gone due to the expense of building these blanks.

The GLX blanks and rods still set the standard by which others are measured in the world of fly rods. The action is fast and the rods seem to be consistantly similar within line classes. Many other blanks will serve your purpose as well and better depending on your need but the GLX is a great rod in my experience.

Stan Grace
Helena, MT
"Our best is none too good"

Shimano bought Loomis something like 10 years ago. It's not something that just happened recently. Most of the people who worked at Loomis 20 years ago still work there. Not much has changed, other than marketing modes.

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I got a TFO 9' 10wt same action beut. finish cheaper blank and life time warranty cheaper too.