New Calcutta on New GLX: WOW!

Huge fan of G. Loomis rods and Shimano reels for one reason: They’re the best. Easily the best imo.

Not saying you can’t get good for less money – sometimes real good – but…well, there’s everything else, and then there’s a Shimano on a Loomis…

…which lo and behold the UPS guy delivered recently. One of the new 200-series Calcutta D round-body baitcasters along with one of the new GLX crankin’ rods. Before getting into how and why those two things separately and together are literally awesome, know this:

Over my years wandering the bassin’ wilderness I’ve gotten to know the Shimano and Loomis folks pretty well – can say the same about folks at many other companies. Bottom line: I’m happy to talk about their stuff. Actually want to do it because it’s frickin’ great. That in the interwebz era is called full disclosure, so here we go.

Holy Crap!

Not 100% proud of that reaction, but that’s what burped out in front of my kids when I held the combo in my hand – after they attacked/unpacked the rod tube and reel box, I wrestled/threatened the rod and reel away, put the two together and held the complete package out in front of me with one hand. I mean this literally:

It felt incredible. Light but powerful. Like a weapon, but one of those only-in-the-movies weapons that are somehow alive or bionic or whatever, and you can feel that “life” or power in it when you hold it.

Seriously.

My 10-year-old son (that’s him in the pic), who lucky for him fishes with real nice gear – a far cry from my Zebco stuff at his age – couldn’t wait to grab the combo out of my hand and feel it for himself. He had the same exact reaction verbally, no doubt copying dad’s questionable example, but I could tell from his face that he felt what I did too.

(His next words were, “I’m fishing with this today,” and I was like, “Uh, no you’re not bud.” Then we did the yes/no thing a few more times until he stopped, figuring as all kids do that he’d somehow get his way…but he didn’t.)

Anyhow, you would/will have the same reaction. You can’t help it. No one can.

And then when you fish it, it lives up to your expectations and then some.

With help from some buds – the one and only Ztrain, Dave Mercer, folks at Shimano and Loomis – gonna bang out the hows and whys over the next couple weeks. It’s “gotta read” stuff if you’re bananas about gear or like to wind/crank reels (or miss fishing that way) or haven’t made out your Christmas list yet, etc.

Stay tuned.

[End of part 1 of a series.]