Custom G.loomis With Wood Handle

[timsford]

I am thinking of picking up a custom g.loomis with a wood handle. My main problem is that i have never held a wood handle rod let alone fished one. Im looking for some opinions on comfort and sensitivity. Also how do you tell what g.loomis blank is what. The guy that has it says he doesn't know what blank it is built on but i thought they were color coded and labeled according to whether they are gl2, gl3, imx, or glx. Does anyone here have experience with custom g.loomis or other wood handled rods?

[Scott F]

I think the only issue you may have is that the wood handle will make the rod very heavy compared to cork handles.

[F14A-B]

I don't think loomis has sold just blanks for rod building in a very long time, my rod builder of past told me that ... It may not be accurate, but I have no reason to doubt him.. A wood handle? You may like it, but idk... Maybe, hopefully some other builders, or guys currently in the know, will chime in...

[Hi Salenity]

I have a couple custom rods with wooden handles and I love them! But if I were you I'd post a pic of the rod your looking at and we can help more... If its not a fairly new build I'd probably pass on it.

[Slade House]

I use a 6' 6" MH/F or a 6' 8" M/F with my spooks and both work really well. I prefer the medium but that's mainly because the rod is lighter and easier on my wrist. 

 

I wouldn't worry about pulling the hooks with braid, just keep your drag loose enough that they can pull some line if they dive at the boat. Don't swing for the fences when they bite, just wind into them (which is what I do anyways with copolymer and have no problems hooking up and I don't have to worry about dodging a Zara Missile). 

 

After attending icast 2014 and holding one of these , i was left pretty much speechless.  thte new megabass arms challenge rods basically are modeled after a sks rifle.  the wood grips come in 3 different types of wood.  I got to hold all the rods by all the manufacturers and megabass far and above were the best.  light as hell and perfectly balanced.  

[Smallmouth Hunter]

If you want a real Gary Loomis rod, look at edge rods / NOrth Fork composites. They use carbon wrapped grips which you might like.

[smalljaw67]

I have a custom I had done a long time ago, it is a split grip with cherry wood grips, it was made on a Rainshadow blank. I had it done with wood grips because I had some severe carpal tunnel at the time and a friend told me that he had the same problems and that the BPS power hump grips on their rods were better to hold. So I talked to the rod builder and he suggested that a hard material would look and feel better than an oversize cork grip and that a split grip was needed to cut down on weight but I wanted a split grip anyway so it worked out. The wood grips were awesome in hand and it made my day much more enjoyable but in the cold and/or wet, forget it as they are slippery and they get like that too in really cold weather but other than that I liked it but they were also turned on a lather to fit my hands because getting to proper diameter of your natural grip is important because too large or small will make it difficult to hold.

[timsford]

The wood handle doesnt bother me as much as not knowing what g.loomis blank its built on. Is there a way to tell by color? The guy texted me pics of it but i cant get them to post for some reason. The blank is a dark grey almost black color and he said he gave 300 for the blank but doesnt know what type it is, what type of wood the handle is, or what guide train is on the rod

[smalljaw67]

I wouldn't even bother because of a few things, the first of which is that Loomis hasn't sold a blank to builders in a long time so the rod is pretty old. The next thing is the rod is a custom but the person who got it has no knowledge of the guides or the blank???? That sounds funny to me. Not being able to get pics to you would be the final straw, I would have to say respectfully, thanks, but I changed my mind. Seriously, if someone took the time to find a builder and then go through the process of getting a custom, they would have an idea as to the blank and guide train used. Just some food for thought.

[Delaware Valley Tackle]

Too many variables and unanswered questions to drop any significant coin. In general terms though, wood can make a fine grip. If it is finished to a high gloss it will actually be tacky when wet. Weight concerns would be minimal unless you were doing a full grip and fore which you don't usually see in wood. Wood grips are nice on a fly rod where too soft a grip can give the rod a mushy feel.