1. Troutnut Forum
›
2. Fly Fishing Gear
›
3. Loomis 10' 5wt Streamdance GLX

Hey, am considering buying a rod off a guy, only used 2x. Im planning to use it primarily for longer distance drift-boat fishing casting on large rivers like the Delaware, anyone have an opinion on this series of Rod?

Thanks

I think the use of rods longer than 9' for trout is overstated & overrated. Especially if one is fishing from a drift boat why would you think you need more rod length? When standing up in a drift boat it is like lawn casting! You are already well above the surface of the water so your backcast should never touch the water unless you (conversational you) are a terrible caster.

I own a drift boat and when standing with my 9' #5 Gatti 2 piece I can throw 50' - 60' no problem so why would I need more rod length. If I was pressed I could throw 70' but what is the point of making hero casts when with a boat you can get much closer to the fish and concentrate on making shorter drag free casts.

Save your money and buy a new reel and line or take your wife someplace overnight and go out for a nice dinner with the money you save from not buying the rod..

Im sure you are correct but I cant deny that I wanna cast it anyway lol :)

A rod that long is WAAAYYY too long for the streams that I fish, but would make an excellent boat rod for lake fishing, which I do plenty of too. Just my 2 cents...

Jonathon

If you can get the rod for a fair price and you think buying it will make you happy then go for it. While I wouldn't ever buy a 10' rod for my trout fishing I do own a 10' #7 I use for high sticking when nymphing for steelhead. I also own a 10' 6" #6 I use to swing streamers for Erie steelhead.

Back-in-the-day a 10' rod would be too heavy and unwieldy to handle and probably too whippy to cast well. Not so with many of the lighter rods made with the newer materials used today by some rod manufacturers.

My go-to trout rod for medium sized stream to larger rivers is a 10' rod.

The longer rod increases the travel of the rod tip in my casting stroke and allows me to make a standard overhand cast very efficiently and effortlessly both near and far.

The rod also roll casts great since the extra length picks up more line to load the rod more effectively.

The extra length gives me a much longer reach and better line control when tight-line / high-stick nymphing.

Same story for mending to an indie or dry fly; I can mend more line more easily.

I've been a convert to longer rods for about 4 or 5 seasons now and wouldn't trade mine for anything.

The one thing I would say is to make sure the rod you choose casts well for you. All rods, especially 10footers are not all the same.

Here's a story for you, Matt. I have a friend that's a well-known and very experienced guide on the Upper D. He was a skeptic about longer rods like you. Anyway, he had a cancellation for the day and gave me a call to spend a day fishing with him. It was late in the season and the D River fish were well schooled as you know. To have any chance at all, you had to back off, make a long cast and show a perfect drift to have any chance for a take.

We were drifting and covering fish with Iso flies for the most part. I was doing quite well picking off risers here and there...he thought I was just lucky. I told him I was able to look at the rise form, and just pick out the dumb fish to cast to....

While my friend cast and covered the fish quite well at a good distance, line control and mending to get a good drift was tough. I handed him my 10' rod with my long-headed easymend line. Kabam, kaboom, kaplat!...he was on those fish and fooled every one...three in a row. The longer rod and long-headed line made all the difference.

When things slowed down on top, we beached the boat and worked a nice riff with nymphs. Same thing, longer reach....better mending and drift with more line off the water....more fish with the longer rod.

Afishinado wrote;



Firstly are you the Afishinado on PAflyfish? Secondly when I get back from Montana maybe you can plan on coming up to the system, during the week, and I'll take you out in the Hyde. You can let me try your 10' cannon and I'll see how I like it. Maybe I will become a believer.

I have a 10', 5wt. Loomis Streamdance and it is one of my favorite rods for nymphing and tossing small streamers on Western waters..I have used it from a drift boat on the Madison and prefer the longer length rod for that purpose ( along with a bunch of other knowledgeable drifters).

[image< />

Above, my son Michael is using that Streamdance on the East Walker River here in CA. Upstream, I am using a 10',5wt Scott "G" Series rod I had made for me by their custom shop back in 1985.There are plenty of times on larger waters, both moving and still, that that extra foot comes in handy...

< />

...like here, on that same river, to get his midge pattern over that white water and into that soft water, along the bank, under the willows...


PT/TB

Planettrout wrote;



Is it me being thin skinned or is the inference in the above statement that I'm not knowledgeable because I think 10' fly rods might be unnecessary?

I rarely nymph for non-migratory trout. Not that I can't I just prefer not to go under. So an extra foot to get a better drift for my nymph is meaningless. I have a 10' #7 I use for steelhead and I do like the extra length to reach out past a current when high sticking.

I've had my Hyde for seventeen years and wade fish frequently on large eastern and western rivers. I have never felt "Gee another 12" will really help me catch more fish with less effort. I guess I should try one on the Missouri River when I get there in two weeks.

Anyone willing to loan me one to try out? Nothing heavier than a #5 please.

Same afishinado. I'll try to meet up with you sometimes this summer. You can try out my "cannon"...

Good luck on your trip out-west. The Mo is one of my favorite rivers to fish.

My affection for 10', 5wt. rods came about after a conversation with and instruction from one Frank Arcularius. I met him on the East Walker River in 1984 and he taught me his technique for fishing streamers on his family property,on the Upper Owens River. (see Ray Bergman's "Trout", ppgs. #242-245).

As stated, I use them particularly for nymphing and small streamers but they also see service for fishing dries, on occasion. Here is the Scott 5wt. on the Madison, at Palisades:

< />

and a closer view of the Loomis Streamdance on the EWR:

< />

My son now lives and works in NYC and I will be getting one of these for him when he comes to visit and fish with me in August:

http://www.winstonrods.com/category/rods/boronIIIX-Super10.php


PT/TB

Planettrout,

I have a nice, like new, Redington CPX 10' 6" switch rod for sale on Craigslist. I'd just as soon sell it to you. PM me if interested. I'm motivated to sell.

Thank you for the offer, but the next one goes to these guys... :)

< />


PT/TB

I don't blame you a bit. It's akin to buying a Chevy or a Cadillac.

Well, today was remarkable in that I FINALLY bought myself a Loomis! Bought one second hand from a member of another FF forum, a Streamdance GLX Series, 10' 5wt. I am VERY impressed with the action of this rod, definitely a cannon! I was casting effortlessly 45-50'' and such tight forming loops! Moreover, With the additional foot of rod this baby has, there is more action when loading it and also, provides additional height to clear structure on your backcast. I need to expt a little bit more to compare this one to my 2 9' Sages that I use for dry flies but overall, I would conclude that the Loomis had a faster action and because of the additional length, more versatility in length/reach. The only downside to this rod that I can see (so far) is that it could potentially wear on your shoulder casting all day so double hauling is a must to bring out its true potential and launch those flies.

Awesome rod :D

My rod for the Maddison River is the original GLoomis GLX (now called the "Classic") in a 10 ft 5 wt. I used to use a 9 ft 5 wt Sage RPL (another "classic" rod). So I have about 20 years of experience using a 10 foot rod. The GLX was the first 10 footer I found that had a swing weight (moment of inertia) low enough to comfortably fish all day.

The 10 footer is made for larger water especially for nymphing. The extra foot keeps allows easier mending, longer drifts and keeps the back cast higher to clear the tall grass shrums on the bank. One year I broke the tip on the rod and had to use my friend's backup 9 footer. After getting home, I bought a 10 ft 5 wt Streamdance GLX HLS (high line speed) as a backup and now I take both 10 footers to Montana every year.

I do have a 9 ft 5 wt, a Sage VXP but it stays in the rod case except when I fish my Blaine's Spring Creek property. Don't dis the 10 footers unless you have tried one made with the latest materials. Modern 5 wt 10 footers are light in the hand.