[salar]

Ok as you know I got a GL3 from ebay, but since me and the father in law share our rods I am looking for either another GL3 or GLX.

The rivers I fish are medium sized and couple of smaller ones....mainly for atlantic salmon and seatrout. Mainly spey casting with a little over head work. Im pretty keen on either a 13 foot or 14 foot Loomis rod, that will put out a line in some tough winds yet can also present a gentle cast.

Im looking for input and reviews on both rods, which one do you think is better and why?


Any help greatly appreciated....as always

 

[fredaevans]

Salar, be sure to PM Speybum and MJC,

both of which have fly shops that focus on Spey rods/fishing/etc.

Beat the internet to death to see if I could come up with anything for you. Only one 'hit,' and that was the US e bay. Same rod as the one you purchased? Think the price was $375USD.

The problem with finding a GL3 is think this blank has been out of production for quite some period of time.

fae

 

[flytyer]

Fred,

The 14 ft GL3 is still in production, there never was a 13 ft GL3.

Salar,

The answer comes down to the type of action you prefer. If you like a medium tending toward medium-fast action, the GL3 is the way to go. If you like a true fast-action, the GLX is the proper rod to buy. The GL3 has a slower mid-section than the GLX, which is uniformly fast throughout the complete flex of the rod. In other words, do like to feel a rod bend and unload further down the blank, or do you prefer a rod that bends and unload quickly that you do not usually feel bend into the butt unless you are really putting the wood to it.

Since Loomis makes a 14 ft 9/10 in both GLX and GL3, and a 13 ft 8/9 GLX and a 14 ft GL3 you will be able to get the action in the line weight you prefer.

 

[salar]

Yep sorry forgot to elaborate that the 13 footer I meant was the GLX

Fred your right...that other GL3 is the spare the seller on ebay had.

Flytyer...I've only got UK spey rods 1 15ft 10/11 Daiawa amopheus sp? and a couple of 13ft 10/11 Bruce and Walker powerlites. The diawa always feels a little fragile when used with a rio mid spey, its not to bad with a mastery floater though. Im not that keen on the action, bends right down to the butt and is quite soft when casting.

The bruce and walkers are better, nice crisp and powerfull action, but you have the play right through the rod when a fish is on. This rod will take the rio midspey and the mastery with sink tips with no problems.

I have a glx trout rod, but apart from that I have nothing to compare the actions of the spey rods too. Heck since the father in laws getting the original GL3 I might just try the GLX and see how I get on with it.

 

[flytyer]

Salar,

I bought the GLX 13 ft 8/9 some 6 or 7 years ago when they first became available. I chose it over the other 13 ft 9 wts on the market then because it was the fastest 13 ft rod then on the market and it because it has typical the GLX very fast, progressive action found in the GLX single-hand rods.

The rods you have now are very much slower than the GLX. Today, there are several other 13 ft fast 9 wts that are on the market; however, the GLX is still the one I would chose by a very,very small margin over the T&T 1309.

Since you have a GLX single-hand rod and like its action, you would most likely be much happier with the GLX over the GL3 because the GL3 has a decidedly slower feel to it.

 

[Topher Browne]

G. Loomis GLX 14' for #9/10 wt.

Flytyer,

I agree: the G. Loomis GLX 13' for #8/9 wt. is the nicest 'fast action' rod that I have cast in its length (although I have yet to cast everything out there). Amazingly light.

How would you rate the G. Loomis GLX 14' for #9/10 (which I have not cast) against the T & T 1409-3; and the G. Loomis GLX 15' for a #10/11 against the T & T 1510-3?

I have heard that the GLX 14' for #9/10 wt. is not quite as quick in its class as the GLX 13' and 15' rods. Any truth to that?

BTW, very nice flies (Kate, March Brown); any critics had best post their own flies before sounding off...

Thanks, TB

 

[flytyer]

Topher,

The 14 ft GLX 9/10 is a bit slower than the 13 and 15 ft GLX's. It does work best with the 9/10 spey lines (at least up to the mid-belly length lines, the Extended-belly GS should be downsized one line); however, the T&T 1409 is a true 9 wt (or 8/9 as most 2-handers are rated) rather than a 9/10. The T&T 1410-3 is the one that the 14 ft GLX should be compared to. The T&T 1410-3 and the 14 ft GLX are very close, the GLX feels lighter in the hand though, and the T&T 1410-3 has more reserve power in its butt. I prefer the T&T 1410-3 because it is a little faster (very little faster) and because it has more power in its butt.

The T&T 1409-3 (or the 1409-5) is my favorite 14 ft 8/9 rod. It has an action and feel very similar to the 13 ft GLX 8/9. The 1409 is a casting machine that is a joy to cast and fish with.

The 15 ft GLX 10/11 really should be compared to the T&T 1511-3 (remember that T&T rates their 2-handers with the top line number onlym thus the 1511-3 is really a 15 ft 10/11 rod). The 15 ft GLX is much lighter in the hand and is a little faster rod than the T&T 1511-3; however, the 1511-3 is a much more powerful rod than the 15 ft GLX, which you will feel as soon as you cast it. The 15 ft GLX has a nicer casting feel to it; but the T&T 1511 is much better at tossing really big or heavy flies and tips. For sheer joy of casting, I prefer the 15 ft GLX, for ease of fishing the big stuff, I prefer the T&T 1511-3. I would take the 15 ft GLX 10/11 over the T&T 1511-3 unless I was going to use it only for fishing big stuff because the GLX is a little faster, lighter in the hand, and seems to take less effort to cast.

The T&T 1510-3 (or the 1510-5) are my preference in 15 ft rods, which is why I own one. It is a wonderfuly fast 9/10 rod when used with short and mid-belly lines (lines up to about 75 ft bellly). I almost always fish it with the GS 8/9 anymore because I use the rod on mid-to large-sized rivers and use it for summer fishing on them. It is a very responsive and fast rod that is simply fun to cast.

To summarize: I prefer the 13 ft GLX, the T&T 1409-3, the 15 ft GLX, the T&T 1509-3, and for the really big stuff I prefer and use the T&T 1611-3 over the other rods of similar size and line designation.

Thanks for the compliment on the flies.

 

[fredaevans]

Repeating myself? Salar, welcome again to the US board.

Ask a question ... and you'll get inundated with good info!

Hugs to you in the UK.
fae/jee/et. al.

 

[Topher Browne]

Thank you Flytyer: awesome review.

Cheers and Happy New Year, TB

 

[salar]

Thanks Fred.....exactly what I was looking for, opinion and debate

Happy new Years
To all on the fora

 

[fredaevans]

"opinion and debate ..."

And not a single brick in the air.:hehe:

Do keep in touch with Meiser, his rods are top end!! Only other rods you can buy in the US that are a reasonable match in action, etc., etc., (but more expensive) are the Burkinheimers (sp?).

fae

 

[Lohi]

Salar, I am a little bit surprised that you do not consider the great products of the Bruce & Walker worth trying, as I am sure that you have them available in the local fly shops to test. The Norway 15' 10/11 is a fast, light weight, and reasonably priced option, compared to e.g. Loomis GLX in similar length and line size.

I have no experience on the B&W Norway 14' #9 rods, but it might be a fair assumption that they are siblings to their big brothers. Someone from the foggy islands might correct me, if I am totally out on this.

 

[salar]

Lohi, I have a couple of 13ft Bruce and Walkers in 10/11# and they are my favourite rods for salmon. I have tried a few of their lighter lined rods and found them to be a lot softer.

I like a quick/powerfull rod..just my preference.

Also with the pound being up against the dollar I can get the rod and reel for the same price as it would cost me for the rod alone over here.

 

[fredaevans]

A good reason I 'play' ...

"I can get the rod and reel for the same price as it would cost me for the rod alone over here."

the exchange 'futures market.' Get it right


Get it wrong ... well, you might loose a few bucks, but that's about all. Only 'mistake' I made was buying Euro's at .86 and selling at 1.01 ... then the damn things went to almost 1.20.

Sheesh. Left 50 cents on the dollar on the table. Who would know?
:smokin:

 

[Jacob]

The GLX rods are great, the GL3 i tink sucks, i dont like thes rods, but thats mee, the 14´ #9-10 is OK and the 12,6´ #8-9 is also OK but I think that you can buy a Guideline LPXe (Swedish company how gives more fore the money!

 

[Lambchop]

How Swedish?

Guideline may be a Swedish Company but aren't the rods made in the Orient? I was told awhile back no rod blanks are made in Sweden. Guideline "buys" their own flylines from other makers too. Loop Tackle is also Swedish but their rods also come from the Far East. I do know for awhile a few of the Guideline models were built on American blanks.
The GL3 is a very well rounded rod for the money. It does a variety of lines very well from WC-types to longer belly. I also like the 48 hour GL-Express Guarantee. Don't try that with a Guideline.