Over the past few years, Ive seen many rods come back broken. Some broken due to defects-the rod breaking when it should not have and most due to stupidity.

The fact is that a company can not support constantly sending new products at no charge out to customers just because of someone's negligence and stupidity.

You have to understand what your rod is made for. Do not but a 1141 expecting to fish it for springers, some people do and then ***** and moan when it breaks and Loomis charges them.

The amount of rods that Loomis was sending out to people was huge and you can not be a successful company when you are running a business they were. I have no problem with them charging a fee for a broken rod especially when you slam it in a car door, fall on it (Mr. Sloan ), or drive off with it while its hanging out your window. You should be lucky you are not having to buy a totally new rod.

I will admit though that Loomis's customer service has gone down the tubes since the buy out and their quality control has too. Plus some of the cosmetic and componet changes I do not like at all.

On a somewhat humerous/slash I wish I had that much money note. A good customer of ours wanted "the best." He is a very very very well of bussinessman. He wanted a good smelt rod, an extra long rod with a soft tip and a heavy backbone. So I showed him a 1141 Allstar and then a GL3 1141. He wanted the GL3. He kept asking me if it was the best. So I grinned and walked over and grabbed the GLX 1141. He wanted. LoL. Now onto spinning reels. I showed him the Shimano Stella. He put it on the rod and asked me if it was the best and I nodded my head yes. So anyways most people do not spend $900 on their steelhead outfit let alone their smelt outfit.

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Ryan S. Petzold
aka
Sparkey and/or Special

[This message has been edited by RPetzold (edited 03-06-2001).]