Aquatic Entomology

G. Loomis Factory Tour
By J. Morgan Jones

The minute you walk in the door you realize that things are different than you expected.  The atmosphere is calm, but all business.  There are 170+ people working here.  Yet the space is very open and everyone is connected.  Maybe that's the secret.  There are a minimum of walls separating the people from each other.  They are all working together and you are impressed by the fact that they actually seem to like each other.  They build 136,000 fishing rods a year.  That's a bunch.

Mark, Patty and myself received an invite from the G. Loomis Rod Company to come to its Woodland, Washington plant for the nickel tour. (Let’s see, a day off from work and free lunch too? After weighing the pros and cons for about 6 seconds, we accepted the offer.) I really did not have much of an idea about what to expect, as I have never been to a rod building facility. Like most people, I had rough idea of what assembling a fishing rod is about, but I have never seen one built from scratch. The Loomis people started us in the front office and we ended our tour in the shipping area, and they took the time to explain the reason for the location and the

operation of every step in the building of a Loomis Rod. We were impressed with plant layout, employee attitude, product quality and the openness of the entire facility. Mark asked if we might be able to take any pictures (for the newsletter) and that he would only shoot what they would give us permission to shoot. We were informed that nothing was off limits to the camera. From what little that I know of rod manufacturers, this is not the common practice. We were able to witness the complete rod building procedure, start to finish.

The first thing upon entering the G. Loomis building is that there are very few private offices. Most office operations are carried in a common area (there are no cubicles at all). This set up allows anyone in the office area to SEE if a certain person is available, on the phone, in or out of meeting. You do not need a conference call to discuss most things, and most customers do not need to be put on hold for any length of time. Office stations that communicate the most

often with certain other stations are located close to each other. This is the identical thought behind the actual manufacturing plant itself. It was pointed out to us that the entire plant was laid out by the people who do the actual production of rods. It seems that the Loomis management thought that the employees might know what they are doing. The end result is that it’s obvious they DO know what they are doing. Throughout our visit, employees were productive and efficient and looked to us like they enjoyed what they were doing. I believe that I heard that the average length of employment was at 9 years. In today’s economy, that’s a great record. This lack of turn-over gives G. Loomis a staff of very experienced rod builders, which in turn produces products that are world renowned.  Ten years ago it took 21 days to build a complete rod.  Now it takes four days.

The first thing that takes place in the production of a particular rod is demand for that model from anglers such as yourself.  So, the start of a rod to be built is the actual order from a customer. In many cases this order has already been anticipated and the rod is already in stock and shipped immediately.  However a rod to replace that rod is immediately set into production.  The plant is so streamlined that although over 500 models of rods are delivered annually,

production batches may be as few as (4) of a s.k.u.  When an order is received, it is real clear that the G. Loomis people understand that it is the customer that makes all this work. Order information is transferred to a piece of paper that is given to the person(s) who selects the correct graphite type and template pattern for that model. At the first station graphite pre-preg cloth is cut in specific

shapes. This is done one at a time by a highly skilled person.  Sometimes three different pieces of material are used in each section of a rod. At the next station the proper mandrel is selected by another craftsman.  The mandrel is tool steel needle that is the exact size of the inside of the rod. The graphite sheets are attached to the mandrel.  From there it goes to the rolling machine (one of which is the original machine developed by Gary Loomis). Keep in mind that I am simplifying the process in the interest of time constraints, but this (as with many of the procedures in building a Loomis rod) is a very delicate process. The slightest variation in pressure, wrapping or cutting will cause a defective product that may not be discovered until later testing. Last years failure numbers (rods returned from dealers that were untellable due to defects) is about .003%. That is nothing short of amazing! It would seem that there are still people around that care about the product they are producing.  Soon after rolling the

actual rod, it gets baked in an oven for an exact amount of time, at a specific temperature.  After the mandrel is removed, the rod moves on to the sanding station. It was pointed out to us that the person doing the sanding must be very careful to only sand the outside raw finish of the rod as any

disturbance of the graphite fibers will ruin the finished rod.  Every rod is measured to assure exact thicknesses.  Trimming the blank, painting and a few other steps I have not mentioned, will get you a finished rod blank, though not a finished rod. The cork in the handle of every G. Loomis GLX fly rod took 90-years to grow on the tree.  The cork handle, reel seat and winding check are installed next and then the tip top (guide) is placed into position. Great care it taken to be sure that the “spine” of the rod is in correct alignment with the reel seat and the top guide. After the G. Loomis logo is silk screened on and the rod it is about ready to have the guides wrapped on. There is a couple of curing stages (of a sort) and processes I have skipped, but, essentially, the rod is done in so far as the construction is concerned.  The last

step before packaging is the final inspection process, and there is more to this than meets the eye. The people at Loomis especially wanted us to see this station, as it seems we had something to do with the way the process was developed. We have a reputation for looking after our customers interest and will only accept the very best that each manufacturer has to offer.  In other words,

Bachmann and the people who work with him at The Fly Fishing Shop have a reputation for being a bunch of "Picky Bastards".  Not too long ago, Loomis shipped us some rods that were new to the market place and we felt that the finish quality was not up to our usual standards. We sent them back for replacement and a few of the replacements were lacking in finish quality also. The guys at G. Loomis were quite surprised, but instead of denial, they said, "Show us what you mean"  That is why G. Loomis products are among the best in the fly fishing arena.  The company is very forward thinking and is constantly evolving.  Let me mention that there was never a question about the strength and quality of the product we were talking about; this was a cosmetics issue only. Still, it was an issue with us. The Loomis people inspected everything we returned, called or came to the shop numerous times, and assured us that it was an issue with them also. They sat down with their own people and came up with a better way to insure product quality. Then they implemented this new program. This took less than a month, start to finish.

Problem solved. Very impressive!
We learned a great deal about what goes into building a premium quality fly rod, and that was why the Loomis rod company invited us to their facility. Loomis rods have always been among the best fly rods in the world, and still are, as a matter of fact.  What we saw in Woodland was a world renowned rod company, making high class fishing rods, and in our local area. You can rest assured that if your fly rod is a Loomis, it was built here, in the Pacific Northwest. Local money, spent in the local area. Add to that a company that claims to care about what we think about their product, and then backs it up. Those of you that know me, know that I believe it is not just the fish, it’s the fishing that counts. Well, now I know that it’s not a just a really nice fly rod, it’s a G. Loomis fly rod, and they intended it to be that way.
Thank you for an informative day, Loomis.

Chest Pack

Backpack

• Holds digital or 35mm camera
• Compound curve narrows at top for secure closure
• Removable foam interior padding
• Velcro closure is splash proof, roll top and buckle closure allows for dunk
• Accommodates any Simms wading belt

Colors: Orange, Coal
You can be sure that your camera is safe and dry even while you are wading as long as it is sealed in this waterproof bag.  Accommodates most point & shoot cameras that are used on the water these days.  Also is great storage for other small fragile items.  This is the best built item of its kind that we have found.

• Roll/fanny pack with removable built-in belt with aeromesh padding.
• Maximum storage front pocket on interior padding, 2 bellowed pockets on interior.
• Interior bag features continuous wrap-around padding
• Wing pockets on both sides of belt.

Colors: Orange, Coal
 

• Zipper closure at top - 10,000 mm rated
• Stacked outer pockets
• Removable foam liner
• Accessories include 2 built-in retractors and tool keeper
• Cuban-strap system allows for for easy conversion from hip to chest pack
• Accommodates any Simms belt, attaches to Simms packs

Colors: Orange, Coal

• Welded vertical zipper runs from bottom up and over for easy access
• Front pocket
• Cuban-strap system
• Stacks 2 large fly boxes
• Accommodates any Simms belt, attaches to Simms packs

Colors: Orange, Coal

• Roll top
• Splash-proof, zippered outer pocket with zipper garage
• Aeromesh padded shoulder straps and lumbar back support
• Partial load - roll down and buckle top
• Full load - roll down and buckle to side for dunk protection
• Built in belt strap

Colors: Orange, Coal

March Brown Mayflies
Oregon is experiencing a warm, dry spring -
perfect conditions for fishing March Brown hatches!

Pounding the bottom with weighted March Brown Nymph flies can provide constant action from mid-morning into the early stages of the hatch.  The March Brown Nymph in sizes #12 & #14 will be your bread and butter fly.  However nymphal color tends to adapt to the color of the stream bed.  Most March Brown nymphs are dark, some are nearly black.  The #12200 nymph is often the ticket to success.  Sometimes your catch will increase if you thin out the legs with your leader clipper and color them with a black felt marker. Fishing two flies at once will increase your odds of hooking up.  Usually two different colors or sizes are used.  Gold Rib Hares Ear and Olive Hares Ears are valuable flies to have with you and will some times out fish the more realistic patterns.  Most March Brown Nymphs are fairly skinny #14's, but slightly larger flies can also work.  March Brown nymphs live in riffles and fast, rocky runs.  As the nymphs near maturity, they migrate to slower water. During the migration, they can loose their grip and drift in the current.  For this reason trout will congregate in places where fast riffles start to slow down and on the seams between the fast and slow water.  Fish your nymphs where the current changes speed.  Approach the water carefully.  Start by fishing the slower water first with flies that are lightly weighted.  Your flies will be most effective if they are perfectly dead drift.  Cast them slightly upstream and mend a little slack into you presentation.  As you work your way out into the faster current, add lead shot to keep your flies near the bottom.
  
As the water warms at mid-day the nymph rise toward the surface to hatch.  Some of these nymphs are intercepted by trout during this upward migration.  Try tying a March Brown Soft Hackle to a dropper 3' above your nymphs. This technique can pay extra dividends.

Best tackle to fish a March Browns is a 9' #4 or #5 weight rod with an action that works easiest at the 20' to 50' cast range.  I prefer a weight forward line that is a little on the heavy side, is a moderate color and is very clean so that it easily shoots smoothly at all ranges.  The standard 9'-5X trout leader is good starting point.  You might go to 4X if you get brutalized by big fish.  Remember the best fly is the one that is perfectly placed in a risers feeding lane. 
Have a great spring.

March Brown Nymph
Pounding the bottom with weighted March Brown Nymph flies can provide constant action from mid-morning into the early stages of the hatch.  The March Brown Nymph in sizes #12 & #14 will be your bread and butter fly for March Browns.  As stated above, you can chop & thin, color and texture your fly to most match the naturals.  You can capture naturals with a kick-screen.

March Brown Cripple
You can fish the cripple like a dry fly by itself or it can be very effective if you add March Brown Cripple to a dropper 1' to 3' from your dry fly and fish both flies dead drift.  A Bob Quigley pattern.