[sean]

Where can a guy in the US (washington) get thier hands on one? I cannot seem to find em anywhere. I know the policy about getting sponsors so I will personally send the people reccomended an email asking them to get involved with the forum.

thanks folks,

-sean

 

[NrthFrk16]

Speaking of Loop...

Anyone had the chance to throw the 15' #11-12 Yellow or the 15' #10-11 Green or Blue??....any opinions??

I do know that Dana, Kush and Doublespey have all spoken highly of these rods...just not certain in regards to the 15'ers.

Sean...did not mean to change the subject...just add to it.

 

[doublespey]

Sean - email Dana, he's BC's Loop representative.

Ryan - the Loop Yellow 15' and Green 13' are both impressive rods. And another real cannon is one of Tyler's current favorites, the 15' Blue.

hasta,

DS

 

[NrthFrk16]

Brian-
Email me if you've still got the 15' T&T...would love to pick it up when I get a chance.

 

[JR SPEY]

I've cast virtually their entire series. First of all, a catalog was printed a year or so ago that said the 15' Yellow Series was an 11/12. That is a misprint. All 15' Loop rods are 10/11 weight. I have yet to cast one I didn't like. The Green Line is quite fast, too much so for my tastes, but people who like fast double-handers really launch some impressive casts with these. I find the Blue Line the best overall. It has a nice progressive action and seems capable of using a greater variety of lines and line weights than any of the rest of them. The Yellow Line is one that the Loop distributor claimed is almost identical to the Blue (which might be true in the single-handed models,) but I find it softer and closer to being a true spey rod (traditional if you will) though it still has a progressive taper. The 15' 10/11 Yellow Line casts the 9/10 XLT into the next area code. I also own two Black Line models and like these a lot too.

As for finding a Loop rod, any Loop dealer can order the rods for you. So if they carry Loop reels they can order the rods. They are warehoused in Florida and the entire inventory is usually available. Shipment is usually less than a week. This means the only problem is getting to fondle one before you make the purchase. If you need more information, send me a PM.

 

[speybum]

Yep it's a keeper

I have been working with a Loop Green 1409-4 for the past two weeks as I unravvel the spey cast for a new caster.
The Loop Green is a excellent rod.
A tad bit on the fast side for an entery level rod.
It likes power; working with both midspey 9/10 and the Grandspey 9/10. It performed flawlessly.

I will be doing some work this week with tips.

Dana review hit the Green right on the head and these rods do not cost a lot of green.


Speybum

 

[NrthFrk16]

I get to answer my own question

Talk about knocking on wood but this weekend I will have the chance to fish the #10 15' Blue Line...if anyone wants a report, will report back.

 

[JR SPEY]

Let me try to address the concern about the blanks being made in Korea. First of all, a lot more blanks are made there than most any of us would guess. Many of those are designed by Koreans and often do not have very good tapers or quality control. However, the Loop rods were designed in Sweden by top rod designers like Goran Andersson. Loop is responsible for the mandrels and is ruthless in their quality control. I think it was Per a couple of weeks ago on a Speyclave thread that said that Goran is in Korea now and was scheduled to be there for five weeks. Doing this several times a year does make a difference. I have a problem with a lot of reels that are made in the Far East because they are just knock-offs of reels designed and built over here. It is much easier to do that and keep the price down than it is to start with a blank screen on a CADD. At the Denver dealer show, one Japanese company featured reels that are exact knock-offs of Seamaster, Bogdan, and others. It's too bad, because they also have a couple of nice original products, but most of us avoid their booth due to the copies. The same is not happening with rods. For whatever the reason, people in that part of the world are quite good at doing tasks like tying flies and wrapping rods and making them very consistent. Are they as good as the best in the US? Nope, but very good, and it allows for pricing that is much more reasonable. When Van Staal was making rods they were very much a high-end product as their twelve weight tarpon rod cost $670.00. And they were incredible casting rods with the blanks made in Korea with tapers developed over here. I think everyone on this board knows that almost everything Redington sells is made in the Far East as is a lot of stuff that Cabelas markets.

Do I wish everyone would buy American or Swedish. Yeah, I guess so, but that's not going to happen if you want a variety of quality products in the low to mid price ranges. I have no quarrel with products made over there unless they are exact knockoffs. I know many of you feel differently and you're more than welcome to buy St. Croix, Winston Ibis, Sage Discovery, etc.

 

[BeeGee]

Sean,

I have the LOOP 9140 Green that Speybum has been
testing. I'd be glad to let you try it out. Send me a note.

Bert

mailto:[email protected]

 

[NrthFrk16]

kush-
What line do you like the Blue 15' 10-11? Fished this rod for 3 days with a 10/11 Mastery Spey and felt that the line was a little light for the rod.

The rod was rocking on the Spiral Roll when I was really hitting it with the underhand but on the Single Spey, Double Spey and Snap-T, I felt was not fully utilizing the power of the rod unless I added alot more lower hand...which I hate doing because then I end up flying the butt way out and dropping the tip almost to the water when throwing my D-loop.

Thanks!!

 

[kush]

15' Loop Blue

Ryan,

I have used the 9/10 Grand Spey on this rod - it is awesome. As a comparison I also used my custom Speydriver - also excellent. The 15' Blue is a cannon and both of those big long belly lines do a great job of loading it. I'm not 100% certain which I think is better as the two lines are different. The Grand Spey (which I think I'll give the slight nod to) has a very powerful feel all through the cast right to the leader turn over. At first this made me think the line was "heavy", but when I got used to it I found it quite positive - I really like the combination. The Speydriver with its more radical long front taper casts about as well, but once the 40' taper starts to unroll it just does its thing and you simply watch it keep on going and going - it is kind of cool!

Since the Grand Spey is a commercial line I think it would be the way to go for a big powerful rod like the 15' Loop Blue.

 

[Dana]

a thought on the lower hand

Ryan, rather than having the flying butt-thing happening (which can be a feature of the Skagit casting style and works fine with Windcutter/Delta style lines) try making your standard D loop move but then, rather than bringing the rod butt in towards your body, try pulling it down and in so that your bottom hand ends up around your belly button or your belt buckle. It feels weird at first and doesn't seem like it will work but try it out. This is the underhand method as I've learned it and it works incredibly well, even with extended belly lines like the GrandSpey and the XLT.

 

[NrthFrk16]

kush-
Thanks for the excellent heads up!! I picked up the 8/9 Grande Spey for Brian's soon to be mine, 15' #10 T&T...but now that you mentioned the 9/10 on the #10 Blue-line, I am very excited to give that combo a try.

Dana-
Thanks for the tip...will work on it my next time out! With the combination of my flying-butt and my tendency to rock forward on my cast (especially when I am tired or laboring), my loops are way too open and on a downward trejectory from the get go. Thanks again!!

 

[gstrand]

Loop Quality

On the quality note, I'm not a two hand user... yet, unless Fred E. has his way.... I do have a few single hand Loops - a Yellow, 3 Blue and 2 Black Lines in various weights. Love them all. When I do buy a 2 hander, it will be a Loop, either a 14' yellow or a 13'2" blue.

I've owned and used all grades of the last iteration of Orvis - Clearwater, Silver Label, Superfine and Trident TL... The Loops are EVERY BIT as good, if not BETTER quality wise as any of the orvis', IMHO.

Just like the reels. and the lines. and the rest. I've yet to find anything Loop makes that is not of better quality and useability than any of it's counterparts.

-Gus

 

[speybum]

PLAYED WITH GREEN AND THE YELLOW BUT NO BLUE

Been working with the Yellow 14ft for a 9/10.
Must say that for a progressive action rod it is truely amazing.
Working the 8/9 Grand Spey off the water I quite long before the rod.
Off the grass it was great. I could even flip the egg and control it.
I wonder if the progressice action helps on the snake????????
I watched as others tried it and saw
This is a winner.
Speybum:devil:

 

[kush]

Speybum,

Yes the 14 Yellow is a great rod, I fished it for a season (before Dana managed to steal it back) I loved it.

My "go to" cast is the snake roll and this rod almost does it by itself - I guess that is why I like it so much. You surmise correctly, the snake roll is a cast that places a continual load on the rod during the cast and a progressive action does a great job of absorbing the load then transferring it back into the cast. While this still happens with faster action rods it is a little more work and the effortless feeling that you find with a rod like the Loop Yellow disappears.

 

[speybum]

You could steal my any time you want

Thank you for imput on the flipping the egg.
No need to worry if you need a yellow you can barrow mine
Speybum