This is a review of the G. Loomis Nativerun GLX Fly Rod. An angler's fly rod defines them in many ways. A rod can tell us how
frugal someone is and it can say a little bit about how seriously they
take the sport of fly fishing. To me, a fly rod must perform at a high
level to be included in my arsenal and I really do not care how much I
have to spend. Because I make my living on the water as a guide, it is
important that I own the finest tools available for those rare days
when I get to pursue trout on my own.
I have owned a nine-foot, five-weight G. Loomis GLX for over ten years and I am just as impressed with it today as I was when it became my most expensive piece of fishing equipment years ago. Every week I get to lay my hands on the newest, most technological fly rods on the market as many of my clients are compulsive gear-heads intent on owning the latest and greatest of everything. I must admit, while many of the newer fly rods are very nice, almost none of them measure up to the classic GLX.
What I like most about fishing my GLX G. Loomis rod is its combination of power and finesse. Many rod companies claim to offer such a product, but most do not deliver. There was one day in particular that stands out in my mind as being the moment that I really understood what a fine piece of equipment that the GLX is. It started out like most days in Arkansas: calm and cool. There was a significant midge hatch taking place and several large trout were intent on eating just the adult forms of this tiny insect. I was able to not only turn over a 14-foot, 7x tapered leader, the GLX also delivered the size #22 dry fly without so much as a ripple on the slick surface of the water. On Arkansas' White River, water releases are unpredictable and my fun time appeared to be over when the flow increased quickly - plus, the wind started howling. I was not ready to quit, so I found a soft spot in the current where I was able to punch size #4 streamers into the teeth of the breeze while continuing to catch fish - what a display of versatility.
The G.Loomis GLX is priced similarly to other high-end fly rods ($700). This classic piece of equipment has not let me down and I know that the GLX will be my favorite, all-around rod for as long as I will fish. The combination of finesse and power displayed by the GLX has not been duplicated and I doubt it ever will.
Also check out this review of the G. Loomis GL3 Fly rod as well as this Brodin Ghost Net review.
I have owned a nine-foot, five-weight G. Loomis GLX for over ten years and I am just as impressed with it today as I was when it became my most expensive piece of fishing equipment years ago. Every week I get to lay my hands on the newest, most technological fly rods on the market as many of my clients are compulsive gear-heads intent on owning the latest and greatest of everything. I must admit, while many of the newer fly rods are very nice, almost none of them measure up to the classic GLX.
What I like most about fishing my GLX G. Loomis rod is its combination of power and finesse. Many rod companies claim to offer such a product, but most do not deliver. There was one day in particular that stands out in my mind as being the moment that I really understood what a fine piece of equipment that the GLX is. It started out like most days in Arkansas: calm and cool. There was a significant midge hatch taking place and several large trout were intent on eating just the adult forms of this tiny insect. I was able to not only turn over a 14-foot, 7x tapered leader, the GLX also delivered the size #22 dry fly without so much as a ripple on the slick surface of the water. On Arkansas' White River, water releases are unpredictable and my fun time appeared to be over when the flow increased quickly - plus, the wind started howling. I was not ready to quit, so I found a soft spot in the current where I was able to punch size #4 streamers into the teeth of the breeze while continuing to catch fish - what a display of versatility.
The G.Loomis GLX is priced similarly to other high-end fly rods ($700). This classic piece of equipment has not let me down and I know that the GLX will be my favorite, all-around rod for as long as I will fish. The combination of finesse and power displayed by the GLX has not been duplicated and I doubt it ever will.
Also check out this review of the G. Loomis GL3 Fly rod as well as this Brodin Ghost Net review.
