L.L. Bean fly rods?

[fishinginasuit]

I was looking at some L.L. Bean fly rods the other day while I was at their store in Center Valley and noticed that some of the rods had a piece of paper attached to them with the G.Loomis logo but were in fact L.L. Bean rods. Does anyone know who produces the rods for L.L. Bean or does anyone own any of their rods? I started off with their Angler outfit as my introduction to the sport. I just recently purchase a TFO Pro but was certainly intrigued by some of the customer service stories I've heard from others who have bought their rods and I have always been a fan of their stuff. Also, to boot, I loved the feel of the Streamline 4wt in the 7 foot range. Great action. I was really intrigued by the 3wt 5'9 but wary as always. I love the idea of them but most people say no and I just havn't actually taken one out for a spin as of yet.
Anyways, back to the original question posed. Does anyone know who makes their rods and does anyone own any of them to report on other than the Angler outfit which I actually own but is many steps down in feel from the Streamline.
Thanks.
Chris

 

[tomgamber]

I too own an angler rod. But mine is almost 20 years old now and is much nicer than what they are selling as Angler rods today. Mine came with a walnut reel seat. They have black aluminum seats now I believe. I paid 100 bucks for just the rod back then. Broke it once and they sent me a new one, no questions asked. I'm not sure who makes their rods but it wouldn't surprise me to learn that Loomis did or does. My LL Bean rod is still my go to rod. Wish I could help you more.

 

[Flydog]

The high end LL Bean rods are Loomis blanks built by Loomis for LL Bean. The entry level rods are made in China or a Asian country. I was in the same store a week ago and had the very same question, the fly shop guy (maybe manager) gave the run down.
Can't give you any feedback on their rods. However he did tell me that they are going to have Sage rods in that store..soon.

The funny thing several years ago when the LLBean store opened in Marlton, NJ, I was in there and ask the guy the same question. He said he was not allowed to disclose who made the rods for LL Bean....Few years later the rods are now co-branded.

 

[fishinginasuit]

Ah ha. Thanks much for the info.
I gotta say that I have been very happy with my L.L. Bean rod, especially since I paid just $69.00 for the entire outfit rod, reel, line, leader, and ready to fish. I would love to find out more information or speak with someone who owns or has used some of their rods above the Angler outfit. Like I said I am happy with my outfit and loved the feel of the higher end models and heck if they are made by Loomis they must be pretty good. I mean L.L. Bean is not the end all by any means but I have always been a fan of their wares and this Loomis info just makes me more interested. I may have to look a little more deeply into this and test drive one of those 3wt or 4wt rods.
Thanks.
Chris

 

[CAMBYSES]

fishinginasuit,
Where in Center Valley is the LL Bean store. I went to college at DSU and I had no idea the store was even there.


Thanks

Bob

 

[Bamboozle]

CAMBYSES:

From DeSales:

309 North to the Center Valley Parkway which USED to be Saucon Valley Road. (second traffic light AFTER Route 378)

Turn right and head to the NEW Promenade Shops across from the golf course. L.L. Bean is right on the end, you can't miss it

The L.L. Bean store just opened last October so depending on when you went to DSU you might have missed it.

Nothing against Bean but the Center Valley store has nothing worth driving to see fishing-wise. You'd be WAY better off going to the Marlton store; they have 100 times the inventory.

 

[CAMBYSES]

I graduated 2 years ago, but I know of the new shops you are talking about. I will be going back up to the Center Valley area on the 21st and I would like to pick up the 6' 3wt rod LL bean sells, and was hoping the store would have it. I much prefer the immediate gratification over internet buys

Thanks for the directions

Bob

 

[Bamboozle]

Do yourself a favor and call the Center Valley store before the 21st and make sure they have one in stock or you'll lose that instant gratification you desire.

610-798-4400

I have been screwed so to speak when I assumed what I wanted was sitting on the shelf just because it's in the catalog of the big retailers like Bean, Cabela's or BPS.

I'm sure you know this already: L.L. Bean gives incredible customer service so buy with confidence!

Have fun with your new rod!

 

[fishinginasuit]

Cam,
It's off of the 309 exit off of 78. It was just opened late last year.
Head on down.
Chris

 

[fishinginasuit]

Cam, so you're looking at the 6' 3wt huh? So was I. I would love to pick up a less than 7 foot 3wt or 4wt and I like the prices of the Streamline series for a fair outfit. People seem so divided on the short rods. The one guy at Cabelas has said that nothing below 7ft is worth anything and the same with another guy at an online retailer but the guy at L.L. Bean said that they have their niche for small brushy streams which is the type of stuff that I would like to hit more of this year. I will say that of the Streamline series the 5'9 3wt was awesome in size at L.L. Bean but was quite stiff, they didn't have the 6'6 3wt that I saw anyways, but they did have the 6'11 4wt which felt great in the hand. Neither rods were clubs, both were nimble, but the 4wt had better action but since I've never used anything other than a 5w I have no idea what a small rod should be like. If you given 'em a test run please post your experiences as I would be greatly interested.
Chris

 

[Bamboozle]

fishinginasuit:

Tell the "nothing shorter than a 7 foot rod" guy to take his 7 footer here:

I fish a lot of the super small streams and I fish a 5'0" 3wt at this place. I tried a 6'6" rod at a similar creek and I spent half the day trying to figure out how to move around and cast without whacking every branch in sight. After that trip I bought the 5 footer.

I have two 6'6" rods and they get used a LOT! I don't own a 6'0" rod but I do have a 5'6" 3wt.

While I won't recommend brands or actions because it's too subjective; IF you plan on using it mostly for small/smaller/smallest streams; I will recommend that you find a rod that you like casting at distances of 8-15 feet, LEADER INCLUDED. Forget the 20-40 foot casts; you'll never get the chance to make them on the real brushy creeks.

5' - 6'6" rods may have their limitations but on some creeks they will help to keep you sane when you run out of Bourbon.

 

[fishinginasuit]

Hey, thanks for the encouraging reply about short rods. I would like to get into small creek fishing and I have one in particular pretty close to where I live that I pass most days and I have taken the long rod out on it but to no avail. Granted this is only my second season at fly fishing so I'm not going to profess proficiency in the sport however I think a short rod would help me along in my endeavor on working small creeks this year.

 

[JoeE]

I always liked LL Bean for some reason; I haven’t bought much from them but always window-shopped. Gary Lacey is building their bamboo LL Rods. Gary owns Granger Bamboo and is a super guy so if you are looking for traditional and his rods are sharp. I haven’t cast the LL Bean bamboo yet but I’ll find one to cast sooner or later.


Joe E.

 

[Sylvaneous]

They change rod models so frequently that it is hard to tell. When I used their Streamlights for the ODS, they were US made. Now, I think they may cast a bit better or be lighter, but they are remade and are from Asia somewhere. The Double L classic is American made, but I never liked it. I THINK the Orion (a really nice fast rod with a lively tip) is a loomis blank finished as a rod in Asia.

 

[ecks]

I'm going to start buying everything I can from LL Bean. They have a knowledgable staff when you call their fishing hotline and their unconditional lifetime warranty with no strings or hidden fees attached is the best on the planet. I often wonder why more fly fishers don't buy their waders from them because waders seems to be the biggest expense(replacing them every few years).

 

[jaybo41]

You can't go wrong with LL Bean IMHO. I don't know much about their rods, but what I can tell you is that their customer service is second to none. I had a backpack that I'd used for 5 years, had a tear along the zipper in the mesh. They told me to send it back and they ended up sending me out a brand new one!

Now I'm using the West Branch waders and absolutely love them. Great purchase with the unconditional LL Bean guarantee. Almost impossible to beat LL Bean as far as I'm concerned.

 

[Van_Cleaver]

While I can't comment on the short rods; I have fished an LL Bean Streamlight travel rod for the last couple of seasons. It is an 8.5', 4 piece, that is extremely light. I would call it mediun fast action. A fun rod to fish, it came with a nice reel on rod case, and cost less than 150$. Had it out today and was schooling some local stockers on a small stream. It was hot and breezy, and they were hitting ants with authority. I only broke off one and I was fishing 7X. (on a vicious hit) A good casting, user- friendly rod in my opinion. Right now it is fitted with a DT-5, and seems to be a fine match. Have fished bigger water with it, and 50-60' is not a problem.

 

[fishinginasuit]

van cleaver, thanks for the reply, the streamlites just really seem like a great deal and they offer quite a number of lengths and wts and ofcourse the outfit being complete with the rod on reel case and ofcourse the warranty
i'm glad to hear that you are enjoying the rod, out there schooling local stockers, lol, i would like to pick up a 3 or 4 wt and 7' or shorter but who knows, i gotta say that i am getting better at my casting with my 9' 5wt tfo rod, so we'll see
thanks
chris

 

[Heritage-Angler]

Hi Chris - Recently, I had a chance to cast one of the new Streamlights, and I have to say I was most impressed with the rod. It has a nice medium fast action that leans more to the medium side, but still has enough backbone to throw a lot of line. One of the nicest rollcasting rods I've ever cast as well. The hardware is good quality, with nice cork. The finish on the rod is first rate, and the cosmetics of it look surprisingly like the colors of the Sage XP series. It isn't an XP, but at a fraction of the cost, it's a heck of a deal on a very nice rod.
Just FYI - the Center Valley LL Bean is offering Walk-On Adventures for fly casting beginning May 26th. The cost is $15, and you get a 10% discount on select gear and apparel during your next visit to the store. Not sure, but I think the rods used for the casting instruction are Streamlights.........Ed

 

[ginkyhackle]

Fish and Fly magazine just did a review of both budget and premium 5wt rods and the LL Bean $69 special kicked some serious butt. The reviewers rated it very, very high, making it by far the best value for the money. They did have some problems with the no-frills reel seat and locking hardware which they predicted would have your reel plunging into the drink in no time flat. I'm going to pick one up to use as my "trunk rod" which I yank out of the car when I suddenly discover promising public water. The LL Bean rods seem perfect for this kind of use.

Also, the assessment that small rods are useless is nonsense. I just snapped a tip of my 9' a few days ago trying to fish the headwaters of Buck Run in Chester County which is about as shrubby as you can get. I should have invested in a 6' 3 weight a long time ago.