I've been casting and fishing Loop's black line rods since March, and I have to say they are one of the better two-handed rod values out there. Loop's Christer Sjberg told me I'd be impressed by these rods, and he was right. With a medium-fast progressive action these rods are easy to cast at all distances with a variety of fly lines. You easily forget that you're casting a budget priced entry level two-hander. At $300 US you can even afford a new reel and line.
The black line two-handed series is 3 rods--an 11ft 6in 3 piece for a 7/8 line, a 12ft 4in 4 piece for an 8/9 line, and a 14ft 4 piece for a 9/10 line. The sanded blanks are finished in matt black. The guides and cork are all good quality. The uplocking reel seat holds your reel securely and does not loosen even after hours of casting, a problem I have found with the reel seats on some other budget rods.
For the 8/9 I recommend either Loop's Adapted Line System or the RIO MidSpey 8/9. The 14ft rod casts a 9/10 Accelerator or MidSpey nicely, and of course balances well with the Adapted lines. Reels are your choice, but the Loop Traditionals are a light, proven large arbor design that will serve you well. Go with the Traditional 3W if you are using shooting head-style lines, or the Traditional 4 if you prefer long-bellied Spey lines like the Accelerator.
I have had two minor problems with the test rods: on the 8124 (12ft 4 in 8/9 line) a small pit has appeared in the lower handle (a little epoxy and cork dust will take care of it); on the 9140 (14ft 9/10 line) a small piece of the finish above one ferrule came away as a result of taping. Both problems are essentially cosmetic, neither impacts the performance of the rods, and I should note that since I have had similar problems even with premium rods I don't consider these to be reasons for concern.
Overall I'm really impressed with these sticks. I think they are great rods at any price. The highest compliment I can pay them is that I'll be using them as my main rods on the Dean in August.
If you're looking for your first Spey rod, a backup rod, or if you don't care how much you spend on a good piece of tackle, give the Loop Black Line two-handers a try. You'll be glad you did.
