I've broke my share of the IMX rods too, heck I've even broke GL3 on the hook set too...

Unless it's a ripper bite I can usually keep my nerves down for an easy hookset....

Keith

that's just what you're getting when you buy a loomis -- you buy the name and all that fancy marketing.

a GL3 1143 blank and a lamiglas X96MC blank have about the same feel to them, and cost about the same, but a finished 1143 GL3 will run you about $80 more than a X96MC, despite the fact that they are built with EXACTLY the same components(fuji ECS reel seat, alconite guides).

i'll put my XMG50 up against the IMX any day. they all catch fish, having an expensive stick in my hand doesn't help me do it any better.

Craftsmanship, components etc sets apart the Loomis rods vs. the others...from my experience plenty of other rod manufacturers do a sloppy job aligning guides, messy glue residue etc.

You are paying a premium with Loomis because they do make quality rods, I really see the difference in the finished product.

Almost 50% of the time any random Lamiglas rod i pick up has rod knock at the ferrule, i've expressed this concern to them myself.

On that note I recently purchased a Lamiglas XMG with graphite handle 4-8# rating spin rod, great feeling blank, the Lamiglas reps claim this rod to be better than an IMX...not sure if I'd go that far, I havent fished enough of these XMG's to notice..

What are your opinions on the XMG rods, specifically the graphite handles.. do they truly have performance advantages?

[quote=
a GL3 1143 blank and a lamiglas X96MC blank have about the same feel to them,
i'll put my XMG50 up against the IMX any day. they all catch fish, having an expensive stick in my hand doesn't help me do it any better.[/quote]

The certified pro's feel nothing like a GL3 in my opinion they could do away with a laquer finish.

I do agree an XMG could do just as well as any Loomis rod, but are you getting the quality? guide components?

The quality of both the craftsmanship and components on my IMX 1141 are THE WORST I have for all of my rods.

Honestly, for what Loomis charges for those rods, it's a joke.

I really wish I could get the IMX blank and have TH (or whomever) make up a QUALITY rod.

Unless things have changed, out of the box IMX's suck for components and craftsmanship.

what is off about the IMX you have? aren't the components standard issue?
I have yet to purchase a loomis with noticable problem...at least not comparable to what i've seen with other manufactuer's.... i.e. messy glue, loose guides that make a tick sound, mis-aligned guides, rod knock at ferrule, a "straight" blank that gradually curves right.

I Am very interested in everyone's experience with rod manufacturer's.

I do agree you cannot beat a custom rod builder's quality of craftsmanship, it's very precise. But Loomis and Sage seem to be the closest to high degree craftsmanship...Lamiglas is close when you pick and choose from a bunch.

I'm sure there are plenty other manufacturer's that i'm not familiar with..

My IMX is off the shelf from the Loomis factory.

For the price they are charging, I'd kinda expect to get a rod that has something on the lines of the SciTic guides, exposed cherry wood reel seats, and gluing/epoxy work over the guides that does NOT look like my 3 year old did it.

TH made me up a Sage 290 and it blows the IMX out of the water for components and crafsmanship. Cost about the same as a retail IMX, too.

I guess I just expect more if one is buying a "perceived" Top Shelf rod at Top Shelf prices.

I agree the sicTi guides would be nice on an IMX, the GLX does have sicTi comparible guides though.

How do you like the Sage 290 blank?

Any experience and feedback from the XMG from Lamiglas? they claim the blank is as good as an IMX, actually better with the handles...

I wish Loomis still made the 1141's in IM6. I'm old school I guess. I still have both the casting and spinning models in IM6. It will be a sad day when I hear that dreaded snap.

The only GLX I own is the rod that Keith mentioned above....and the quality of components and craftsmanship is greatly improved on that rod!

I'd be pretty happy in the IMX had the same parts and looked as good as the GLX.

It's one of the new series Loomis rods, so I don't know how the older GLX 1141's look today.

I love the 290. Between that an the 1025, those two rods can pretty much cover all steelhead fishing conditions. Toss in a 1141 or a 1082 and you've covered all the boondogging/side drifting needs.

I don't own any Lami's. Sorry.

Any experience and feedback from the XMG from Lamiglas? they claim the blank is as good as an IMX, actually better with the handles... [/quote]


I think the XMG is the best thing to come out of Lamiglas to date. Is it as good as a IMX, it depends on what your using it for. The XMG 8'9" 10-20 is a awesome small river springer rod (very light and lots of backbone). I built a few rods using the graphite handles and haven't seen any advantage in using one. They cost about 75.00 and are no lighter then cork. How often do you hold on to the handle anyway. Most people hold the reel seat.

I'm with ya there. Those amber blanks, other than being scratch-prone were things of beauty and had a damn nice feel. My first 1141 was an IM6 in the casting model.

One of the worst mistakes Loomis ever made was to quit offering the 1141 in a casting model. I laugh at the notion that 1141's are only practical as side drifting rods in the spinning model....Loomis bought into that and used that as reason to quit offering it as a baitcaster. I can zing a bait PLENTY far baitcasting with it and use it for all my conventional drift fishing for summer runs.

Get this: I custom wrap my 1141's now as bait casters and am still using the original FUJI tall double foot casting guides from my first IM6 back in 86' . That style of guide has long since gone off the market and they are worth there weight in gold. I actually worry more about damaging one of the guides than snapping the blank LOL.....blanks are replaceable, these guides aren't.

I hate some of the new rods with the single foot guides. Maybe I am hard on my gear or something but the bait casting rods I owned with single foot guides I flattened the guides out.

single foot guides are fine and dandy when used where they belong -- in the top two feet of rod, especially a lighter action steelhead rod. they give the tip a crisper feel. i haven't noticed any differences in durability between double/single when used in the tip area. they all bend if you put much load on them. if you're that hard on your rods, i suggest having one built with titanium frame guides.

lamiglas went overboard when they switched from the high frame hardloy guides to the alconite concept setup on the certified pro and higher models. my X96JC is a good example of this -- those flimsy fly guides have no place near the ferrule where they put them, especially when they often get used as a lever for dis-assembly(i do it, at least).

loomis may have made a mistake when they ditched the 1141C, but at least they didn't do the same thing lamiglas did and discontinue ALL of their light action baitcasters. there are no more 8'6-9'6 6-10 lamis in production...at least you loomis guys get the 1082.

Eric not all is lost .I have a few extra sets of guides that are a direct replacement for the long gone highframe Fuji`s. Let me know. They are also SIC ring material . Also Rainshadow has their new 1141 blanks that are the same action as the old GLoomis IM6. I have built several dozen of these in casting . Everbody that has fished these rods say they are the exact same. I have done a flex test with my old IM6 along side and they flex the same. The only problem that I have found of late is there quality control has been lacking. The tip sections have flat spots and are out of round .004 - .006 that start from the tip down to about 6 inches. If you happen to buy one be aware .I hope that it gets resolved and is just a bad run. Also Rainshadow makes a 1142 6-10 # 9'6 . Another rod that I have enjoyed fishing that is no longer being made is the GLoomis 1260 IM6 C

I'm loving this board, lots of experience and knowledge.

I recently migrated from another oregon board.

Good stuff guys.

A question for the Sage rod fans, specifically the CT models 290 etc..What about this rod knocks your socks off?

I had the Sage Gear SP 9'6'' factory built rod and it was slick but did not feel so balanced in my hand as a Loomis unfortunately..or maybe i'm just a confused person..

Want to give the CT290 a try but am afraid of the 15+ SicTi guides and laquer finish weighing the rod down? or causing balance issues...does this rod dwarf the 1025c IMX?

Opinions...

CT290 IMO is one of the nicest built rod and it only has 12 guides including the tip. Great balance, fishing well and nice looking too :-)

eric - i just noticed that it looks like fuji may have brought back the double foot high frame guides, with alconite rings. BNMVAG is the model number.

Just to echo the sentiment I'm hearing here. . .I haven't been happy with the workmanship of a rod off the shelf in a long time. Bent blanks, poor guide alignment, careless finish jobs, cheap POS components. My worst and most recent example was the Lamiglas Si series batches I looked at. All that in a $300-500 product turns a guy into a rod builder (not that it's a bad thing),

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