Welcome to our Year 2001 catalog. This year, in addition to sharing more than anyone could ever want to know about our rods, we're including a few stories from friends. So I thought I'd start it off with one of my own.

I've had the great fortune to fish all over the world, but this story takes place on the North Fork of the Lewis, right here at home. It was quite a few years ago, and I was fishing for summer-run steelhead with Steve Rajeff.

If you haven't heard of Steve, he's our Chief Rod Designer, the winner of more National and World Casting Championships than anyone in history, and a phenomenal fisherman. So any story with the potential to embarrass Steve is a good one in my book.

At this particular time in history Steve was fairly new to spin fishing for steelies. But early in the trip a steelhead picked up his bait, and BANG! That fish took off on a dead run - zing!!! - right down the river! It almost spooled him, heading right over the break and out of the hole.

Suddenly, slack line. "I lost him," Steve shouted. He was shaking like a leaf, but I could see the fish coming back upstream, headed for the hole again. I screamed to crank that reel as fast as he could. Just then, the fish jumped head over tail, not twenty feet from the boat. . .Holy #%*&! He was a hot one! That baby was upside down and sideways all at the same time! He wasn't about to give up and headed straight upriver to the top of the hole.

Five seconds later, Steve yells, "I lost him!" I'm screaming, "Crank, crank, crank, he's coming back downstream. . . AGAIN!"

Steve was back in control now. . . for about three seconds. That dang fish flipped completely over, six-feet in the air, and took off downstream. Steve's doing all he can and losing, but bad. I told him to hang on and pulled in the anchor.

Just as I started the motor, I glanced over my shoulder. Steve was leaning as far out as he could and he's out of line. The boat turned and we went down the river after the fish, Steve gaining line as fast as he could. "He's right under the boat!," Steve's screaming now.

I knew better, though. The water was only two feet deep and I couldn't see him. I ran back to Steve and found the line was snagged under a big rock. It was about then that the steelhead had pulled all that slack line against the current to a point where he had only one place to go.

And with that, he beached himself right on the sandbar next to the boat.

We hurried over there, jumped out of the boat and threw the net over him. I told Steve there was no way we could keep that fish. He'd done everything right and we'd just lucked out even getting close to him, so we released him right on the spot.

As the fish swam off, Steve and I realized we were sitting waist deep in the river and started laughing. But it was the fish who got the last laugh.

GLX

We could tell you that our ultra-high modulus GLX fly rods feature a fast action, a moderate stiffness, and a Progressive Power taper, but that doesn't even come close to describing them. We could mention that professional guides, fly publications, university studies and hardcore anglers alike agree that these are, without a doubt, the highest-performance rods on the planet—but you still might be skeptical. We could mention that they're 25% lighter than rods of comparable strength, putting them in a class all by themselves. You still might not believe. All we can say then is this: try one for yourself. Feel how effortlessly and smoothly these rods cast at both long and short range. Spend an entire day generating tight, ultra high-speed loops with virtually zero fatigue. Encounter first hand the incredible sensitivity of the GLX's tip, it's ability to telegraph even the most delicate takes. Whether you're an expert fly angler who wants every last bit of his ability to shine through, or an intermediate angler who wants to improve his abilities practically overnight, the GLX is for you. No other rod on the market even comes close.

IMX

You've got the GPS on. Depthfinder's humming. The boat's tuned and ready to go. Time to pull out your $35.99 Kwikmart special. Yeah, right. Serious fishermen with state-of-the-art equipment know a state-of-the-art rod is even more crucial. And that's why you'll find anglers like these all over the world fishing IMXs. These are the rods that originally put G·Loomis on the map, and it's no secret why. Their super-high modulus graphite makes them unbelievably sensitive, telegraphing every rock, stump and weed you work your lure over, every twitch your bait makes. They're extremely strong, able to haul in the meanest, meatiest underwater critters from long distances and great depths. Incredibly, however, they're some of the lightest rods on the market. So you can fish day after day without fear of your casting arm committing mutiny. Distance, accuracy, sensitivity, strength, these rods truly have it all. Except for the GLX, there's not a rod anywhere that can outperform an IMX.

GL3

Let's say you're an avid fisherman. Or fisherwoman. Chances are, you're looking for a rod that will greatly enhance your performance, yet also stand up to years of use. Pick up a GL3 and you'll get both, plus much, much more. Undoubtedly the best performance value on the market, these high modulus rods are very lightweight, incredibly responsive, and more sensitive than many rods twice their price. There are other rods as tough and durable as GL3s, but none that are this light. That means you increase your casting distance, greatly improve your accuracy, and experience far less fatigue after a day on the water. We've been refining and upgrading our GL3 graphite since the early 80's and there are only a couple materials in the world that can outperform it—our GLX and IMX.