I just bought a G. Loomis rod blank that I don't know what series it is. The label has on it "F964", "96% Graphite", "Made in USA". It's an 8' 4 wt, glossy dark grey 2 piece.

It's faster than my 80's IM6, but not IMX fast. Does anyone have a clue? The rep I spoke to at G. Loomis tried to be helpful, he told me it was from the early to mid 1980's, but all I really got from him was the warranty is good.

I bought this for resale, but I may keep it for myself. I'm a big fan of the early Loomis stuff.

Dave

How fast a rod is has nothing to do with the fiber it's made from. There were very fast IM6 rods made and very slow IMX rods made. Action is independent of the material the rod is made from.

If it's a gloss grey blank, then it's most likely the standard Loomis blank made from about '82 up through perhaps 1987 or 88. F stands for Fly, 96 is the length in inches and 4 is the line weight number recommended by the manufacturer. These were the lower modulus rods, under the IM6 but were still (and are) very nice blanks.

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I have a Loomis rod that I bought around 1983 that I believe is constructed using this blank. The rod states that it is a Loomis Composites 96% Graphite made in USA. It is labeled a GF904 with a line weight of 4-5. which was not uncommon to have two ratings at that time. IMHO I would classify it in the medium fast range. It is a little heavy and bigger than todays standards,but still and excellent blank. Hope this is helpful

Your post got me thinging about a glossy dark grey 2 piece Loomis I built in about the mid-80's. It's an F1026 96% Graphite rod. I haven't fished this rod in ages so I can't comment on whether I like it with a six weight line, but now that I've dug it out I can't wait to do a CCS on it.

Jeff Shafer

David

That's the original graphite that Loomis manufactured. After they came out with the IM6 they started to call it the Premier series. It was replaced by the GL2 series.

Thomas F. Thornhill

Thanks Tom and Thomas!

So, it's not what I expected. Maybe I didn't get such a deal, but it's a beautiful blank, and I'm excited about what I can make of it. If I don't like it as much as my IM6, I'll find someone who will appreciate it, I'm sure.

Dave