Winston has a nice series of casting instructions by Joan Wulff, the grand lady of fly fishing.
Here are all the episodes stitched together.
These are basic casting instructions, yet always good to see if you're still on track.
I'll post an article about fly casting with my thoughts about casting soon.
22 June 2017
18 June 2017
Double review: G. Loomis NRX LP & Livingston Western Glass
Here's the promised look at the G. Loomis NRX LP 8.8ft #3. I decided to throw in the Livingston Western Glass rod as well since they are similar in length and line weight. The difference is the material: the G. Loomis is graphite while the Livingston is made of fiberglass. Are there more differences?
Let's start with the G. Loomis. It's a mystery to me why G. Loomis rods have been 'under te radar' of the general public the past 10-15 years. I've discussed about this several times with George Anderson (owner of Yellowstone Angler). The recent yearly shoot outs of 9ft #5 rods by the Yellowstone Angler the NRX LP fly rod by G. Loomis were killing the competition.
I think there are two main reasons for the low attention by the general public of G. Loomis as a premium fly rod brand: lack of the right marketing and missing the right key figure, like Jerry Siem (head rod designer at Sage).
Let's start with the last one. Jerry looks like a very knowledgeable (he explains the technical jumbo-jumbo with the right words) and has a very sympathetic appearance. Steve Rajeff, the head rod designer at G. Loomis, is arguably the most knowledgable fly rod designer. But his appearance is a bit grumpy and his presentation is too intellectual. Simply said, Steve is the brilliant VCR engineer who also wrote the manual. These manuals are basically not a nice reading.
Then the marketing. Also a similar style as the VCR manual. Too much emphasis on the technical specifications rather than creating fly fishing setting you just want to be a part of. Here's the department where Sage excels: their ads have the right ambiance. You want to be there and be the guy in the ad. One final word on the rods: G. Loomis needs to hire a 'cosmetics manager'. Their rods just don't look as appealing as a Sage or Winston.
Now let's take a look at the rod itself. The 8.8ft #3 is a rod that hasn't had much, if any, coverage by the reviewers. But just as its big brother, the 9ft #5, it's a phenomenal casting rod. The tip has that right amount of softness that allows you to cast close (15-25 ft) with good feedback. The butt section of the rod has the strength to cast 40-45 ft with great precision. The rod has no problem with casting distances, 50-60 ft, a 3 weight has 'no business being there'. The strong butt section also means the rod can handle large fish with ease.
The original NRX had this weird color scheme of a dark grey blank with bright baby blue guide wraps. I think I heard once that Steve wanted this to make sure the rod stands out from other rods. It sure does, but not the way I think a great rod should. The LP (Light Presentation) model were available in two blank colors, the same as the NRX but also in a dark translucent green color with dark green wraps. A much nicer to the eye color scheme. Recently G. Loomis dropped the grey/blue version all together.
The grip of this rod has the right shape and length for the size of the rod. To me the proportion of the grip and reel seat should match the size of the rod. The cork(?) they used does feels a bit rubbery. The size and shape is really nice. The reel seat is also I would have liked more if it had a more classic look. I'm not a fan of high tech looking seats (the Asquith, G. Loomis' new top of the line rod does have a more traditional looking reel seat). I fished the rod last september with a SA Mastery Trout (DT3). Great match!
The resurgence the past 8-10 years of fiberglass has resulted in some amazing blanks and rods. The real improvements didn't come from the traditional rod companies but from smaller niche companies. The Epic blanks are making a huge impression, while small boutique rod builders like Chris Barclay, Steffen Brothers and Kabuto are making exquisite rods using their own proprietary taper designs. More recently a fellow by the name of Dusty Smith from Livingston, Montana joined with the list of small boutique builders with his Livingston Rod Company.
I received my Livingston as a custom finish from Shane Gray. He finished the blank in a more classic look with a cork seat, simple but elegant looking ring and cap and a small but very comfortable mini half wells grip. I think it looks very appealing and minimalistic. Obviously it's also very light. The slightly faster and lighter S-glass used in Dusty's blanks and rods are made to his design by the New Zealand blank builder CTS. CTS also builds the blanks for Swift (Epic). Livingston's fresh water fiberglass blanks and rods can be ordered with the unaltered white translucent color or dark brown. His saltwater fiberglass rods come in a cool blue color.
This 8.6 ft #3 in 3 pieces is quite a remarkable rod. To start with, it's extremely light, in fact it's a few grams lighter than the G. Loomis rod (71 vs 76 grams, 2.5 vs 2.7 oz). Also the blank is surprisingly slim. And finally the length is somewhat of a surprise as I thought fiberglass beyond 8-8.5 ft would be too heavy and (especially with a light line weight) slow. This rod has a very strong butt section while the tip section is soft, a lot softer than the G. Loomis.
The action can be best described as 'modified progressive'. The softer tip allows for very delicate casting, you really need slowing down slightly to allow the soft tip to do the job. Thanks to the soft tip it also casts a DT 2 superbly. Dusty explains why and how he designed this rod:
The surprising thing is this rod casts very delicate up to 25 ft, as Dusty explains, but the strong butt section kicks in when casting well up to 50-60 ft! I've tried a WF3 (Orvis Hydros) as well as a DT3 (Sage Quiet Taper II) and both lines felt wonderful on this rod. The rod handled the heavier mass weight when using a DT3 on longer casts very well.
The soft tip will collapse (resulting in tailing loops) if you force the tip (typical of casting with fast graphite rods) on the longer distances. The casting stroke needs to be lengthened a bit more as well use the stronger butt section to get the rod moving. You also need to slow down on the casting, especially the back cast, to allow the loop to unroll fully. Make a smooth very straight stroke not to mess up the delivery. When done correctly the line flies to the destination like a jet!
Both rods have similar specifications, yet their characteristics are quite different. Casting both rods side by side does show that the graphite material has less feel than fiberglass. To make a blunt statement, the G. Loomis feels mechanical compared to the Livingston. The Livingston has tons of feel as you can really feel the rod load and unload when casting. In fact, I just couldn't stop casting the rod.
The G. Loomis is a very versatile rod capable of casting a hopper-dropper as well as a nymph rig without any problem. It's also an exceptional dry fly rod. I haven't fished the Livingston yet so I'm not completely sure about what flies it can handle. Dusty designed the rod primarily as a dry fly rod. I'll have to check if it can handle some light nymphing (could be a great sight nymphing rod!) as well as handle a more wind resistant attractor dry fly like a humpy or a hopper. The longer length of both rods makes mending a breeze. Anyone looking for a light rod without sacrificing length, do try when you run into one.
Update Nov 2018:
I sold the G. Loomis NRX LP. The Livingston is so sweet I don't see any reason to keep the NRX LP.
Here is a very good video from Tim Rajeff on how (or not to) to cast a fiberglass rod.
Let's start with the G. Loomis. It's a mystery to me why G. Loomis rods have been 'under te radar' of the general public the past 10-15 years. I've discussed about this several times with George Anderson (owner of Yellowstone Angler). The recent yearly shoot outs of 9ft #5 rods by the Yellowstone Angler the NRX LP fly rod by G. Loomis were killing the competition.I think there are two main reasons for the low attention by the general public of G. Loomis as a premium fly rod brand: lack of the right marketing and missing the right key figure, like Jerry Siem (head rod designer at Sage).
Let's start with the last one. Jerry looks like a very knowledgeable (he explains the technical jumbo-jumbo with the right words) and has a very sympathetic appearance. Steve Rajeff, the head rod designer at G. Loomis, is arguably the most knowledgable fly rod designer. But his appearance is a bit grumpy and his presentation is too intellectual. Simply said, Steve is the brilliant VCR engineer who also wrote the manual. These manuals are basically not a nice reading.
Then the marketing. Also a similar style as the VCR manual. Too much emphasis on the technical specifications rather than creating fly fishing setting you just want to be a part of. Here's the department where Sage excels: their ads have the right ambiance. You want to be there and be the guy in the ad. One final word on the rods: G. Loomis needs to hire a 'cosmetics manager'. Their rods just don't look as appealing as a Sage or Winston.
Now let's take a look at the rod itself. The 8.8ft #3 is a rod that hasn't had much, if any, coverage by the reviewers. But just as its big brother, the 9ft #5, it's a phenomenal casting rod. The tip has that right amount of softness that allows you to cast close (15-25 ft) with good feedback. The butt section of the rod has the strength to cast 40-45 ft with great precision. The rod has no problem with casting distances, 50-60 ft, a 3 weight has 'no business being there'. The strong butt section also means the rod can handle large fish with ease.The original NRX had this weird color scheme of a dark grey blank with bright baby blue guide wraps. I think I heard once that Steve wanted this to make sure the rod stands out from other rods. It sure does, but not the way I think a great rod should. The LP (Light Presentation) model were available in two blank colors, the same as the NRX but also in a dark translucent green color with dark green wraps. A much nicer to the eye color scheme. Recently G. Loomis dropped the grey/blue version all together.
The grip of this rod has the right shape and length for the size of the rod. To me the proportion of the grip and reel seat should match the size of the rod. The cork(?) they used does feels a bit rubbery. The size and shape is really nice. The reel seat is also I would have liked more if it had a more classic look. I'm not a fan of high tech looking seats (the Asquith, G. Loomis' new top of the line rod does have a more traditional looking reel seat). I fished the rod last september with a SA Mastery Trout (DT3). Great match!
I received my Livingston as a custom finish from Shane Gray. He finished the blank in a more classic look with a cork seat, simple but elegant looking ring and cap and a small but very comfortable mini half wells grip. I think it looks very appealing and minimalistic. Obviously it's also very light. The slightly faster and lighter S-glass used in Dusty's blanks and rods are made to his design by the New Zealand blank builder CTS. CTS also builds the blanks for Swift (Epic). Livingston's fresh water fiberglass blanks and rods can be ordered with the unaltered white translucent color or dark brown. His saltwater fiberglass rods come in a cool blue color.
This 8.6 ft #3 in 3 pieces is quite a remarkable rod. To start with, it's extremely light, in fact it's a few grams lighter than the G. Loomis rod (71 vs 76 grams, 2.5 vs 2.7 oz). Also the blank is surprisingly slim. And finally the length is somewhat of a surprise as I thought fiberglass beyond 8-8.5 ft would be too heavy and (especially with a light line weight) slow. This rod has a very strong butt section while the tip section is soft, a lot softer than the G. Loomis.The action can be best described as 'modified progressive'. The softer tip allows for very delicate casting, you really need slowing down slightly to allow the soft tip to do the job. Thanks to the soft tip it also casts a DT 2 superbly. Dusty explains why and how he designed this rod:
"… I guide and fish Yellowstone Park, am a dry fly addict, and fish PA and NY a couple of times a year. I have always wanted a long 3wt and could never find one that wasn't a 4, especially for Soda Butte Creek, Pebble Creek, the Upper Gibbon, the Firehole, and the Middle to Upper Willowemec (in the Catskills).
The rod casts best at 15 to 25' because those are the average casts for a lot of those streams, and I didn't want it to cast off the tip like the Epics. If I have to cast 30-50' like on the Missouri of the Delaware I grab my 5wt. I retained power in the butt because we hook 20" fish in a lot of our smaller waters out west."
The surprising thing is this rod casts very delicate up to 25 ft, as Dusty explains, but the strong butt section kicks in when casting well up to 50-60 ft! I've tried a WF3 (Orvis Hydros) as well as a DT3 (Sage Quiet Taper II) and both lines felt wonderful on this rod. The rod handled the heavier mass weight when using a DT3 on longer casts very well.The soft tip will collapse (resulting in tailing loops) if you force the tip (typical of casting with fast graphite rods) on the longer distances. The casting stroke needs to be lengthened a bit more as well use the stronger butt section to get the rod moving. You also need to slow down on the casting, especially the back cast, to allow the loop to unroll fully. Make a smooth very straight stroke not to mess up the delivery. When done correctly the line flies to the destination like a jet!
Both rods have similar specifications, yet their characteristics are quite different. Casting both rods side by side does show that the graphite material has less feel than fiberglass. To make a blunt statement, the G. Loomis feels mechanical compared to the Livingston. The Livingston has tons of feel as you can really feel the rod load and unload when casting. In fact, I just couldn't stop casting the rod.
The G. Loomis is a very versatile rod capable of casting a hopper-dropper as well as a nymph rig without any problem. It's also an exceptional dry fly rod. I haven't fished the Livingston yet so I'm not completely sure about what flies it can handle. Dusty designed the rod primarily as a dry fly rod. I'll have to check if it can handle some light nymphing (could be a great sight nymphing rod!) as well as handle a more wind resistant attractor dry fly like a humpy or a hopper. The longer length of both rods makes mending a breeze. Anyone looking for a light rod without sacrificing length, do try when you run into one.
Update Nov 2018:
I sold the G. Loomis NRX LP. The Livingston is so sweet I don't see any reason to keep the NRX LP.
Here is a very good video from Tim Rajeff on how (or not to) to cast a fiberglass rod.
15 June 2017
Passing of Tom Morgan
Monday June 12, 2017 Tom Morgan passed away. Former owner of R.L. Winston Rod Company and Tom Morgan Rodsmiths, was 76 years old. He sold Winston to David Ondaatje in 1991. Not long after he was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis. He started Tom Morgan Rodsmiths in 1995. Here is a wonderful article about Tom's ideas about a good fiberglass rod, but it's basically his life story. More great articles from or about Tom are here.
It's impressive and also sad to see an old and almost paralyzed man running a rod company with the intense drive to build the best fly fishing rods possible. Here are two nice articles about his life not so long ago. His legacy will for ever be remembered.
Update October 20, 2017:
The new owners of Tom Morgan Rodsmiths changed their website, including a new URL and content. Unfortunately this also means all of Tom's thoughts and articles about fly rods and fiberglass on the old site (the links in this post) are now gone...
Update October 26, 2017:
The whole content of 2015 Tom Morgan Rodsmiths' website is still archived here!
Save the articles as PDF before also this archive is deleted forever.
Update June 2020:
This podcast with the new owners of Tom Morgan Rodsmiths was recorded two years ago.
Gives a very interesting insight about the decision to leave their old lives and run Tom Morgan Rodsmiths.
It's impressive and also sad to see an old and almost paralyzed man running a rod company with the intense drive to build the best fly fishing rods possible. Here are two nice articles about his life not so long ago. His legacy will for ever be remembered.
Update October 20, 2017:
The new owners of Tom Morgan Rodsmiths changed their website, including a new URL and content. Unfortunately this also means all of Tom's thoughts and articles about fly rods and fiberglass on the old site (the links in this post) are now gone...
Update October 26, 2017:
The whole content of 2015 Tom Morgan Rodsmiths' website is still archived here!
Save the articles as PDF before also this archive is deleted forever.
Update June 2020:
This podcast with the new owners of Tom Morgan Rodsmiths was recorded two years ago.
Gives a very interesting insight about the decision to leave their old lives and run Tom Morgan Rodsmiths.
12 June 2017
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