Leland on the G. Loomis Dredger GLX 16589-4 8/9 weight Spey Rod
Swollen, fast flowing rivers indicate two things: a
new push of big fish and the use of extra-fast sink tips. The G Loomis
8/9 Dredger GLX Spey Rod provides you the resources required to handle
these powerful, “fresh from the ocean” fish and the
sink tips necessary
to reach them. Through the magic of GLX graphite this 8/9wt Dredger has
the
strength to control a 600gr line and a 20lb steelhead all at the
same time. Remember, not all salmon and steelhead rivers are a mile
wide and with the use of short belly Skagit style lines the Dredger GLX
8/9 weight Spey rod is perfect for dropping a Skagit Minnow into a seam
50 feet or if needed 100 feet away.
Leland on Specifications
The G Loomis FR 16589-4 8/9wt Dredger Spey Rod is
the powerful weapon of choice in battle with salmon and big steelhead.
This 8/9wt Spey rod utilizes the G Loomis proprietary graphite for both
strength as well as sensitivity.
The medium action of the Dredger
Series Spey Rods is designed for the delivery of short belly and head
system Skagit type lines for accurate casts from 50-90 feet. This
Skagit style of casting allows you to cover all the right water with a
minimal number of casts.
At 13’9” this Spey rod provides the right
length for wading deep and the necessary line control for fast flowing
rivers. When it
comes to controlling line and big fish the 8/9wt Dredger GLX Spey Rod
is a must have!
Specifications:
- Line Size: 8/9
- Rod Length: 13’9”
- Sections: 4
- Handle: Two-Hand Grip
- Reel Seat: Downlock Anodized Aluminum with offset-oval sculptured with an ivory style insert engraved with a fly graphic
- Action: Medium Spey
Leland on G Loomis Dredger GLX Spey Rods
There are only a few issues with “New World” steelhead and
salmon rivers, they are either high banked or heavily lined with trees
and if there are gravel bars they usually are littered with deadfalls.
In other words you just don’t have much room for a D-loop of
traditional Spey casting let alone an overhead cast. Enter a style of
Spey casting named for a river in the Pacific Northwest infamous for
these difficult casting conditions, the Skagit. The Skagit style of
casting utilizes short belly and shooting heads lines that will load a
Spey rod quickly with little if any back cast movement. As you would
imagine G Loomis Spey rod designers would be right at the forefront of
the Skagit style Spey rod design. The folks at Loomis call their Skagit
style rods the Dredger Series. Dredger because they easily handle the
sinking tips and heavy flies associated with the narrow, fast flowing
rivers of the Pacific Northwest. These rods are designed to release or
shoot 40-90 feet of line with a short to medium casting stroke.
The
Dredger GLX Spey rods are crafted with G Loomis proprietary GLX
graphite, and a moderate to fast taper. This moderate/fast taper
provides these rods with their medium action, while the GLX graphite
provide strength and sensitivity. The Dredger GLX series Spey rods are
appointed nicely with only the finest of components; nickel titanium
recoil REC guides, handcrafted Portuguese cork grips with special
composite core end-cap and fore-grip and the offset oval sculptured
barrel reel seat with ivory style insert is second to none. This rod
series is characterized by rods of shorter lengths of 12’9” – 14’ and
lighter weight range of 6/7weight to 9/10weights. Once frowned upon,
Skagit style Spey casting is sweeping the Spey community and the G
Loomis Dredger Series Spey Rods are true leaders.
- Crafted with GLX proprietary GLX
- REC nickel titanium recoil guides
- Portuguese cork two-handed grips with special composite core end-cap and fore-grip
- Offset-oval sculptured barrel reel seat, each with an ivory style insert engraved with a fly graphic
- Seven rod weights ranging from 7-8 to 10-11 weight
- Lengths ranging from 14-17 feet
Leland on G. Loomis Spey Rods
When Gary Loomis set off to construct the perfect steelhead rod
in 1982, the outcome would be much greater than the perfection of one
simple rod model. Gary had worked for other fly fishing manufacturers,
and he firmly believed that graphite was the future of the industry.
What he wanted was a rod that was soft enough to dampen the shock of a
careening steelhead, but left enough backbone to bring the fish to the
net. Using specialized machinist equipment, Gary started GLoomis rod
company to make "everyday on the water more memorable", and the rest is
rod making history.
To say that when the spey revolution started that G. Loomis was in
the forefront would be an understatement. G. Loomis almost
double-handedly (we know that was a shameless pun, but...) started the
revolution themselves. Using their knowledge of that perfect steelhead
rod the design team at GLoomis has over the years developed a series of
two-handed spey rods that covers all ascepts of spey casting. Today
they are the leader in design and to brag a little are as matter fact
World Champion Spey casters.
G. Loomis has been on the cutting edge of rod construction materials
for years. Starting with second-generation graphite, IM6, then moving
to IMX, and most recently, TLX (Type III) graphite, G. Loomis has a
history of immediately incorporating the newest materials from the
aerospace industry into their rods. As makers not only of fly rods, but
also of general tackle rods, the designers at G. Loomis rely on
field-testing and input from experts in every niche in the fishing
industry. These guys know fishing, and they know how to manipulate
their materials to create performance on the water. Their specially
designed machines build blanks using greater pressure, resulting in a
denser graphite blend that is up to five times stronger than the
industry standard. All this translates into rods that are as durable as
they are fishable, made with innovation, and design going hand in hand.
Talking to Gary Loomis about his rod-building philosophy is
pleasurable and simple. His catch-word,
"efficiency", is the driving
concept behind each rod GLoomis manufactures. Finding a way to create
the best fishing tool for every type of fishing involves dedication and
know-how, and these qualities are felt in each cast of a Loomis rod.
G Loomis on the RoaringRiver Dredger Spey Rod Series
RoaringRiver Dredger Spey Rods (Skagit Style) "The term "SKAGIT CASTING" was coined in the early 1990's to
describe an offshoot system of Spey casting being used at the time by
steelheaders in the Skagit River area. It was mostly characterized by
its relatively short shooting head lines. However in its original
context, the term Skagit casting described a method of casting that
exercised one particular premise to accomplish its casts- the sustained
anchor concept. This works off the principles of rod loading that are
the opposite of contacts Spey casting. Sustained anchor casting uses
the "unsticking" of a thoroughly "stuck" fly line from the river's
surface as the mechanism for creating casting energy. Allowing you to
change the direction of the cast and providing the primary mechanism
for loading the rod, the casts that work best with this concept are the
Circle Spey, Snap T. The Perry Poke and Skagit style DoubleSpey.“
“The
ROARINGRIVER DREDGER SERIES is designed with a moderate/fast taper and
softer action to balance the medium stroke required to cast short to
medium belly lines used for these techniques, from the light 12'9",
#6/7GLX, to the powerful 14', #9/10.
When you need to get down
fast in swift, deep drifts, the new ROARINGRIVER DREDGER will
comfortably manage the sinking tips and weighted flies needed for
SKAGIT style casting. The seven models, ranging from 12'9" #6/7 to 14'
#9/10, are designed to throw short to medium belly 38 to 62 ft. lines
using the balanced medium casting stroke, refined over time by the
northwest steelhead fishermen. Requiring less back cast space than
traditional casting, this series of rods provide excellent distance
with some shoot to the cast.
DREDGER GLX
This
is the top of the Dredger line, featuring our proprietary GLX graphite
along with the finest rod components available today. With nickel
titanium recoil guides by REC these cast as slick as they look.
Exquisitely crafted Portuguese cork handles with a special composite
cork end-cap and fore-grip are fitted to our exclusive offset-oval
sculptured barrel real seat, each with an ivory style insert engraved
with a fly graphic.”
G Loomis on G Loomis Fly Rods
“The fly rods created in our Woodland, Washington factory are
created with one thing in mind – your success on the water. And while
they come from our factory, the end product in the result of many
forces away from it. We’ve spent countless hours traveling the globe
asking questions, fishing with the best anglers, guides and pros,
asking more questions, testing, tweaking, changing and improving.
Combine this extensive research with our proprietary materials and have
the finest fishing instruments available. Whether it’s pursuing
Stripers on the east coast, Reds in Texas, Salmon in Scandinavia with
two-handed rods, or trout in a crystal cleat spring creek with a 3wt.,
G Loomis fly rods perform perfectly for those fish, in those places,
wherever that may happen to be.”
Two-hand Fly Rods
“Spey
casting is both beautiful to watch and intensely satisfying to perform.
To Spey cast, is to experience the exhilaration and reward of fly
casting to difficult fish under difficult weather and water conditions.
Imagine you’re up to your waist in glacial run-off, the wind pushing
20mph with a cutting sleet. The prime holding water is two thirds out
and you’re up against an overhanging tree-lined bank. Over a century
ago, fisherman living on Scotland’s rivers Spey and Ness found they
could handle these challenging elements while casting farther and
catching more Atlantic salmon using two-hand fly rods. Since the days
when fisherman such as Alexander Grant and A.H.E. Wood developed Spey
casting and greased-line fishing techniques for presenting their flies,
Spey casting has developed into a vast variety of fly fishing and
casting techniques, making the sport as wild as the “Bars of Chrome” we
hunt down each season.”
RoaringRiver
“Two-hand
rods used for Spey casting have evolved from the original heavy
Green-heart rods of Alexander Grant’s era to a variety of specialty
rods to suit every type of Spey casting style. The RoaringRiver
two-hand rods are the culmination of a century of fly rod evolution to
fulfill specific fishing applications. It’s where “Technology Meets
Tradition”.
Casting masters and elite fisherman from all
corners of the world have spent countless hours helping G Loomis
design, test, tweak, and tweak some more, in order to create the most
comprehensive line of two-hand fly rods in the world. By tailoring the
basic aspects toward one specific casting style, G Loomis, with the
help of experts like Ed Ward, Steve Choate, Leif Stavimo and many
others, was able to specialize each casting technique with a separate
rod series. Whether throwing traditional fixed line Spey casts, firing
off a long distance Scandinavian style cast, or just managing a Skagit
style weighted shooting head, we believe you’ll find a RoaringRiver
two-hand rod fly rods encompassing the three dominant casting styles,
there’s a two-hander to meet your needs.”
