Loomis 11' Trilogy / 11' BIIx
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The Loomis Trilogy 11' 8/9 is nearly identical to my Loomis 11' 8/9 IMX. It is a single hand rod designed to cast 8 or 9 wt single hand lines. I like my 11' 8/9 IMX with an 8 wt salmon/steelhead line or the 8 wt single hand RIO Windcutter. The rod is an excellent overhead casting rod that single hand spey casts excetionally well with the same lines used for overhead. Do not use an 8/9 or 7/8 spey line on the rod for they well very badly overload it.
Loomis Nightmare
I used to own an 11ft G. L. Loomis 11 ft Model FR1328/9-3 IMX. I was very pleased with the rod and used it for a number of years. Then, the unthinkable happened...while on my annual Atlantic Salmon fishing trip to Labrador I landed (and released) a nice salmon,went back fishing, made a cast and something seemed very wrong, looked at the rod...everything seemed ok...cast again and it became very apparent that the rod had broken ...lengthwise splits in the butt just above the cork. Without the spare I always carry, the trip would have been a disaster.
The break was obviously a defect in the rod caused by playing the salmon. Trying to get the rod fixed or replaced though was nothing short of a nightmare...all of the nuances of which would take a much longer post. The end result was that I gave up. The butt section of my rod is now in Port Hope, Ontario and the tip and mid-section are here with me in Newfoundland. It hasn't been a total loss though...every new salmon fisherman (and fisherwoman) I talk to eventually hears the complete story so I think ( or at least hope) that Loomis has had at least a little dent placed in their sales. I know of one fly shop in the area that doesn't even carry the Loomis line of rods any longer.
Still, if anyone knows where I can purchase the butt section for said rod, (or a blank that I could use to make the butt section) I would be eternally grateful. The rod has not been manufactured since about 1995. One of the persons involved with Loomis at the time made the comment to me "too bad you didn't break the tip of the rod...we have lots of those here". This led me to believe that others beside myself had had problems with the butt section of the rod since all pieces of the rod have to be returned if order for the rod to be replaced...hence the supply of tips.
My 11ft rod is now a Cabellas...a much better warranty...my 9ft ,a Fenwick...a much better warranty...and my recent purchase, a 15 ft Spey, a St. Croix ...a much better warranty.
I used to own an 11ft G. L. Loomis 11 ft Model FR1328/9-3 IMX. I was very pleased with the rod and used it for a number of years. Then, the unthinkable happened...while on my annual Atlantic Salmon fishing trip to Labrador I landed (and released) a nice salmon,went back fishing, made a cast and something seemed very wrong, looked at the rod...everything seemed ok...cast again and it became very apparent that the rod had broken ...lengthwise splits in the butt just above the cork. Without the spare I always carry, the trip would have been a disaster.
The break was obviously a defect in the rod caused by playing the salmon. Trying to get the rod fixed or replaced though was nothing short of a nightmare...all of the nuances of which would take a much longer post. The end result was that I gave up. The butt section of my rod is now in Port Hope, Ontario and the tip and mid-section are here with me in Newfoundland. It hasn't been a total loss though...every new salmon fisherman (and fisherwoman) I talk to eventually hears the complete story so I think ( or at least hope) that Loomis has had at least a little dent placed in their sales. I know of one fly shop in the area that doesn't even carry the Loomis line of rods any longer.
Still, if anyone knows where I can purchase the butt section for said rod, (or a blank that I could use to make the butt section) I would be eternally grateful. The rod has not been manufactured since about 1995. One of the persons involved with Loomis at the time made the comment to me "too bad you didn't break the tip of the rod...we have lots of those here". This led me to believe that others beside myself had had problems with the butt section of the rod since all pieces of the rod have to be returned if order for the rod to be replaced...hence the supply of tips.
My 11ft rod is now a Cabellas...a much better warranty...my 9ft ,a Fenwick...a much better warranty...and my recent purchase, a 15 ft Spey, a St. Croix ...a much better warranty.
Chare,
As you have found out, once Loomis quits making a rod or blank, they quit making replacement blank sections too. I've only had one experience with a broken Loomis rod when I tripped on a root tangle walking into a favorite run on an Olympic Peninsula river and crushed the blank under my hand (I should have let go of the rod instead of holding on to it). The blank split between guide wraps and looked like many strips of graphite between these two guide wraps. Anyhow, when I called Loomis I was told they had quit making the rod; however, they also told me that if I sent the rod to them they would see if they had a blank or completed rod section of this no longer made model in the plant.
I got a call from Loomis 3 days after I shipped the rod to them, and was told they were not able to find a section for the rod; but that they would give me the new model that replaced it in the same line wt at a very reasonable price, which covered their labor, material, and shipping cost to get it back to me. I was very happy with this and gave them my Mastercard # over the phone. One week later, I had the brand new model in my hands.
I would check with Loomis and see if they would provide you with the 11'6"GLX (which is the updated version of the 11' IMX) for their cost plus shipping if you send your complete rod back to them since the 11' IMX hasn't been made for quite a few years. I think you would be very happy with the 11'6" GLX and the minimal cost of replacing your broken rod with it to me is not worth worrying about.
As you have found out, once Loomis quits making a rod or blank, they quit making replacement blank sections too. I've only had one experience with a broken Loomis rod when I tripped on a root tangle walking into a favorite run on an Olympic Peninsula river and crushed the blank under my hand (I should have let go of the rod instead of holding on to it). The blank split between guide wraps and looked like many strips of graphite between these two guide wraps. Anyhow, when I called Loomis I was told they had quit making the rod; however, they also told me that if I sent the rod to them they would see if they had a blank or completed rod section of this no longer made model in the plant.
I got a call from Loomis 3 days after I shipped the rod to them, and was told they were not able to find a section for the rod; but that they would give me the new model that replaced it in the same line wt at a very reasonable price, which covered their labor, material, and shipping cost to get it back to me. I was very happy with this and gave them my Mastercard # over the phone. One week later, I had the brand new model in my hands.
I would check with Loomis and see if they would provide you with the 11'6"GLX (which is the updated version of the 11' IMX) for their cost plus shipping if you send your complete rod back to them since the 11' IMX hasn't been made for quite a few years. I think you would be very happy with the 11'6" GLX and the minimal cost of replacing your broken rod with it to me is not worth worrying about.
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I had a similar experience with GLoomis with several spinning rods: they offered "upgrades" at very reasonable prices. Since I was at fault in both cases, I didn't have any reason to argue. I would have felt differently if it appeared that a defect was the cause.flytyer said:
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A buddy of mine had one of those BIIx 11ft 7wt when i bumped into him on the river a while ago. I never tried spey casting it but it overhead cast unlike any rod I have ever felt, it had an almost magical feel to it and it cast really far with minimal effort. I only spent about 10min with it but I can tell you it was awsome! 
J
jerry64
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Loomis Warranty
Earlier this year I broke my first rod, (single handed) cross current GLX. I paid $50 and within 2 weeks had a brand new rod. I don't know if I should consider myself lucky, but I was under the impression they have lifetime warranties regardless of the cause. I can understand being attached to a rod and having it replaced with a newer model, might not always be as attractive. Just wanted to share my positive experience.
Earlier this year I broke my first rod, (single handed) cross current GLX. I paid $50 and within 2 weeks had a brand new rod. I don't know if I should consider myself lucky, but I was under the impression they have lifetime warranties regardless of the cause. I can understand being attached to a rod and having it replaced with a newer model, might not always be as attractive. Just wanted to share my positive experience.
BIIx
Hey Smolt,
I have been fishing the Winston BIIx 11' 7 wt a bunch lately. For what ever reason I find it be a great two hander for trout as small as 14" yet I have landed steelhead around 12 pounds with it as well. Very versatile rod. Something about where it bends combined with it's extreme lightness makes it a fun trout fighter.
Here are the lines that I fish on the rod.
SA Scandi head 6 wt with 6' trimmed from rear for a total of 33' and around 340 grains.
SA single hand skagit 7 wt. 23' and 360 grains + 120 grain tips (I have also fished the 8 wt 400 grain head and it rocks for bigger flies but I believe the 360 is a better all around line).
SA spey classic 6 wt
SA XLT 6 wt.
I fished the scandi head on a small-med sized river the last couple nights. 12-17" brown trout were pounding size 10 soft hackles on a very fast and broadside swing in the surface during a late caddis hatch. I find with the scandi head the rod casts really well with 10' of line out all the way to 70' or so. very fun stuff.
Side note: These are all the same exact lines that I would recommend for the Echo Dec Hogan 5 wt. rod, which is a fine rod as well.
I hope this helps.
Greg
Hey Smolt,
I have been fishing the Winston BIIx 11' 7 wt a bunch lately. For what ever reason I find it be a great two hander for trout as small as 14" yet I have landed steelhead around 12 pounds with it as well. Very versatile rod. Something about where it bends combined with it's extreme lightness makes it a fun trout fighter.
Here are the lines that I fish on the rod.
SA Scandi head 6 wt with 6' trimmed from rear for a total of 33' and around 340 grains.
SA single hand skagit 7 wt. 23' and 360 grains + 120 grain tips (I have also fished the 8 wt 400 grain head and it rocks for bigger flies but I believe the 360 is a better all around line).
SA spey classic 6 wt
SA XLT 6 wt.
I fished the scandi head on a small-med sized river the last couple nights. 12-17" brown trout were pounding size 10 soft hackles on a very fast and broadside swing in the surface during a late caddis hatch. I find with the scandi head the rod casts really well with 10' of line out all the way to 70' or so. very fun stuff.
Side note: These are all the same exact lines that I would recommend for the Echo Dec Hogan 5 wt. rod, which is a fine rod as well.
I hope this helps.
Greg
J
JR SPEY
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I've used that rod for a few years now, mostly for speyfishing. My favorite line is an Airflo Ridge Delta 7/8 designed for single-handed rods. I also use the Guideline Power Taper single-handed Scandinavian heads in a 7/8. Finally, and I thought you were the one who recommended this one but I must be wrong, is an Orvis WF8 Multi-tip that looks like it's made by Rio. I have a friend who throws a Airflo Delta Spey 6/7 on his. Hope this helps.
Thanks for the feedback Greg and Jr. Spey.
I have been using an Orvis Short Head 7-wt Spey line, and will be trying the same line in a 6-wt next week. I have never cast tips with this rod, but may give it a try. My favorite rod for tips right now is the Scott LS2 1307-4 with a RIO 500 grain Skagit.
I have been using an Orvis Short Head 7-wt Spey line, and will be trying the same line in a 6-wt next week. I have never cast tips with this rod, but may give it a try. My favorite rod for tips right now is the Scott LS2 1307-4 with a RIO 500 grain Skagit.
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