L L Bean Fly Rods

RCF · Mar 20, 2024

I noticed recently a number of L L Bean new (old stock) fly rods coming onto the market. They are about one-half of a used Loomis IM6 fly rod. Many of them were rolled by Gary Loomis . Being a fan of Loomis branded IM6 fly rods they intrigue me.

Anyone have experience with these and how do they compare to Loomis fly rods?

TYIA

RCF

Tim L · Mar 21, 2024

They're excellent rods and still among my favorite. I have two of the old Guide Series rods, 2 pc, and that's still my daily driver. Mainly make sure the one of interest is actually a GL blank, you can usually find a consensus among forums and specialty sites. With the exception of some LLB spinning rods, I don't think any of the fly rods actually say Loomis on them, and I never trust the claims of any seller (I believe you're safe with Guide and Orion models). Also, if you know which models are GL and actively watch for them, I was able to find both of mine w/o any mention of the blanks. I didn't pay much, as there were no other bidders. Last thought, tough to pay a premium for those with no way of replacing a broken tip...

RCF · Mar 22, 2024

Tim L said:
They're excellent rods and still among my favorite. I have two of the old Guide Series rods, 2 pc, and that's still my daily driver. Mainly make sure the one of interest is actually a GL blank, you can usually find a consensus among forums and specialty sites. With the exception of some LLB spinning rods, I don't think any of the fly rods actually say Loomis on them, and I never trust the claims of any seller (I believe you're safe with Guide and Orion models). Also, if you know which models are GL and actively watch for them, I was able to find both of mine w/o any mention of the blanks. I didn't pay much, as there were no other bidders. Last thought, tough to pay a premium for those with no way of replacing a broken tip...

What is the difference between Guide and Orion models? I am looking for a bit faster rod than a IM6 rod. It appears these are equivalent to a GL3. Probably would be a good answer. GLX would be a step up. Thoughts?