So, I shouldn't go to the fly shop. Fly shops and gun shops are my kryptonite. I cannot walk into either kind without finding something to lust after, or bring home (I would say Pet shops are the same, but I have far more will power when it comes to things that poop & eat than I do things I don't have to feed or clean up after besides myself and my kiddo)

I went to my favorite shop today to consign a rod I don't use anymore (a 13 foot carbon spey rod) - I spent 10 minutes too long in the store after agreeing on a price. Wound up horse trading it instead of selling it - and I had two rods come home with me - a pair of Penn "Gold Medal" IM6 2 piece graphite rods - one a 9' 6 weight, the other a 9' 7 weight. Build quality on both is very good - both rods say Made in the USA on them.

Rods are brown with red wraps and have nice cherry or rosewood reel seat inserts and nickle silver hardware. They kind of remind me of the Sage RPL rods or some of the St Croix rods from the late 90's.

The shop owner told me he's been sitting on these rods since he opened the shop - they were good rods but the Penn name made them slow to move because folks don't typically associate Penn with fly tackle. The Made in USA stickers peaked my interest, and I am wondering if Penn actually made these rods themselves, or if they are relabeled rods from another maker? If anyone here has info on them I'd be happy to soak up some knowledge about them. I don't have any 6 or 7 weight lines currently - closest I have are a Sci Anglers GPX taper 5 weight, and a true to weight 8 weight. I lined up the 6 weight with the GPX 5 and did some test casting on the sidewalk outside. I'd say these are a fairly smooth casting medium fast action rod - pretty typical of a lot of IM6 rods.

I figure they'll make great bass and trout streamer rods - like I needed anymore of those. I'll probably fish these more than I fished the spey rod though - I haven't had it out in 2 years.

I owned one of those, mine was a 4pc 5wt, back in the mid 90’s. Decent casting medium fast like yours. USA made also, if I had to put a bet on who rolled the blank, Talon or Lamiglas. Both made those Root Beer blanks and the tapers were very similar to the Pacific Bay TRF and IGFA series of blanks, which were made by Lamiglas and Talon. Could be someone else, but the time frame when those blanks were popular, my money would be on them.

Shurfire-You might be right about the rodmaker.Gary Loomis was with Talon before he went I believe to Lamiglas.I had an 8 1/2 ft. 8wt. Penn and thought it was a decent rod.

I think SHURFIRE is Correct, Gary started building/designing rods at Lamiglas before moving to other ventures. His current ventures are Northfork Composites and Edge Rods, though I'm not sure how Edge is doing, as IIRC that was a partnership from TFO, and per the owner of my local fly shop who is a longtime friend of Gary, TFO and Mr. Loomis aren't working together anymore.

I did get to wiggle some of the Edge rods in that store and ohboy are they crisp, light little wands. They are so light that my impression was they felt fragile and delicate. But then again, I fish heavy weight stuff a lot anymore, and a high end, high modulus carbon 3 or 5 weight is going to feel really delicate compared to 7-10 weight stuff I've been using most recently.

I did get a couple cell phone pix of the 6 weight after a little sidewalk casting. Pretty standard 1990's fare, which I dig, because that's when I got into fly fishing, and this rod looks just like the ones I lusted after when I was a teenage kid frothing up the water with my $30 South Bend rods

I was told Gary Loomis owned Talon rods before he went to Lamiglas.After Lamiglas he started Gary Loomis rods.

There is a web site with a interview with Gary Loomis and his life as a rodmaker, he list his jobs before G Loomis as Cascade Rods, Lamiglas and then Loomis Composites. Originally LCI was started to make arrow shafts and later rods.

Did Loomis build spigot ferrules?
Both the epoxy treatment near the butt and the ferrules look awfully Fisher to me.

2001

Spigots? I'd like to see another picture, because that looks like tip-over-butt to me, with sections joined as photographed, no?

I see now

It becomes a question of matching the tackle to the job at hand, and MOC is part of that picture.
When you get to long and heavier line weight, it's no longer a question of "action", it's simply a question of weight - the bulk modulus of the rod has to be the same to do the job - hence the obstinance. Nor was graphite ever the right material for short light-line rods.

7-wt Fisher Original


I've never understood why one would want a 2-wt for any occasion, which is undoubtedly my obstinance.
MF66

a good glass 705 will do anything on the light end I choose to do, and that should include dry-fly fishing a 3-wt line when it's on the agenda (and the rod is in fact a good 705).

What you acquired here are two examples of where graphite, especially IM6, shines - though others may be too obstinate to get it.
Hope you enjoy fishing them, and thanks for bringing them up.

As far as that perfect 705, that was aimed at rod-rollers.
I think where all those light-line graphite rods came from was trying to find the perfect 705 in the wrong MOC.

that's certainly opposite of the definition - it's defined as holding onto an opinion that goes against facts.

It would be an obstinate choice to pick my first 9' 8-wt Wonderod because it's glass, over an equivalent Fisher Original - while it was an inexpensive and durable (still have it) learning tool, its performance where it would be needed isn't in the same league.
second cast of the morning - first cast was a larger spec that tore the hook out on its second run

while the Wonderod caught a few specs, it's not in my list for this job

mmckenzie, Nice rods - thanks for posting them, and I'm sure you'll enjoy fishing them.