LCI 5' Ultralight Spin Rod

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The LCI 5' ultralight spinning rod is a highly regarded vintage graphite fishing blank manufactured by Loomis Composites Industries (LCI) during the 1980s and early 1990s. Before Gary Loomis founded G. Loomis, his early composite design work laid the foundation for these classic LCI blanks, making them highly collectible items today on vintage markets like eBay.

Rigging: Pairs perfectly with period-accurate vintage ultra-light reels—such as the Shimano MLZ 10 or classic Daiwa mini-series—spooled with 2 to 4 lb monofilament line

Pulled this one out as I'm thinking bluegills & crappie. Bought it new way back in the day, mine has the MLZ 10 on it still. Went to a smaller event once where G. Loomis himself was the guest speaker. Handed him this rod & asked if he remembered it

Best fish was a 20" rainbow on a little size 2 Mepps, can you say bent to the cork??

 

[Merle]

My first “nice” fly rod was an LCI 6wt 9ft, that I got from Buffalo Bill’s in Issaquah in about 1990. I paired it with a Cortland Rimfly click pawl reel and chased trout in the Columbia basin at all the popular spots. Sadly the combo got stolen out of the back of my truck one day while parked at the Umptaneum launch on the Yak.

 

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LCI, I remember them fondly. When I picked up that little 1 pc, l went big as well, purchased a 9' chinook tide water bobber rod. It was a massive powerhouse of a stick that I never fully utilized. Wound up selling it to a guy who haunted Tillamook bay, they had become legendary down there so I think I made a few $$ on that one