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Escape with the
lightest rod from the G.Loomis travel lineup
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Date: |
9/09/08 |
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Tackle type: |
Rod |
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Manufacturer: |
G.Loomis |
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Reviewer: |
Zander |
Total Score: 7.83 - Good
Introduction:
G.Loomis has updated their
Escape line of travel rods making them more polished and application specific to
give anglers more performance than what is normally expected in a multi-piece
rod that can anglers can pack with them for any fishing adventure.
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G.Loomis
ETR75-3ULS4 Ultra-Light Travel Rod Specifications |
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Material |
Graphite |
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Pieces |
3 |
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Length |
6'3" |
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Grip |
Cork |
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Color |
Cherry |
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Line Weight |
2-6lb |
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Lure Weight |
1/32-1/4oz. |
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Guides |
5 plus the tip |
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Rating |
Ultra-Light |
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Action |
Medium
Fast |
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MSRP |
$310.00 |
Impressions:
Fishing in your home water is fun but there is always something thrilling about
targeting different species of fish and exploring new fishing locations. Travel
and fishing go hand in hand for anglers, and prepared anglers always have a rod
within reach just in case the perfect stretch of water presents itself. It is
with this mindset that G.Loomis fashioned the Escape Travel Rods.
The G.Loomis ETR75-3-ULS-4 is the
smallest rod in the Escape lineup
There are a total of ten
rods in the Escape series ranging from the ultralight ETR75-3ULS4 for trout
fishing to the heavy action ETR81-3HC20 which is
capable of handling tarpon, big snook, small sharks, and other saltwater fish.
All of the Escape series rods are three pieces and come with a rod sock and new
for this year is a bundled rod tube for extra protection while traveling. All
the Escape rods feature a cherry finish and gold threading. I have to confess I
wasn’t a fan of the color when I first set eyes on the series as it reminded me
of the lower end GL2 merlot rods.
All Escape rods come with a rod
tube and heavy duty rod sock for travel
G.loomis also offers GLX
travel rods, and there are four rods in this series ranging from 6’6” to 7’ in
length. The GLX rods are positioned above the Escape rods and carry a price
premium of 100-150 dollars over the Escape rods depending on which models you
are comparing. When deciding which rod to review I decided to pick up a new
ultralight trout rod, as most of my light rods were either longer than 6’6” or
single piece sticks. The ETR75-3ULS4 is designed to be
an ultra-light spinning rod for trout and panfish and
G.Loomis recommends the rod for light line enthusiasts, and describes it as “an
awesome backpack rod.”
A closer look at the rod sock
Real World Test:
Trout fishing comes in a close second to bassing for me. I usually target trout
by backpacking into less travelled water with a spinning outfit and fly rod, but
to properly test the G.Loomis ultralight Escape rod JIP, Cal, and I decided to
tow our Boston Whaler over the “hill” to Crowley Lake in the Easter Sierras.
Here we could pit the ultralight rod versus both Sacramento Perch and Rainbow
Trout. Crowley Lake rests at an altitude of 6,800 feet and is a man made
reservoir that was created by the damming of the Owens River Gorge to supply
water to Southern California. It took us a full day to get to the Crowley from
TT headquarters and we set up camp and prepped our gear for two days of light
line fishing.
The rod sock separates each of the
three rod pieces
Casting: I paired
the Escape with a Shimano Sustain 1000 and loaded one spool with 2 and 4lb
P-Line Fluroclear. As Cal prepared dinner I head to the water’s edge to try my
luck with 1/4oz Kastmasters and spinners. The Escape rod takes only seconds to
put together and the ferrules join together very nicely. I was able to cast the
lures a good distance with the 2lb line, and while I got petite followers I
didn’t get any takers before Cal rang the dinner bell.
The rod features a new design that
is smoother through the ferrules
With the campfire going
and beverage in hand I was ready to settle in for the night, the temperature
quickly dropped the minute the sun disappeared behind the mountain range.
Testing the rod’s feel and sensitivity would just have to wait until morning. We
left the launch ramp early the next morning as it was only a stone throw away
from our campsite on the bank of Convict Creek.
Our testing location, Crowley Lake
in the Eastern Sierras
We powered on the big
motor and noticed the boat had trouble getting on plane with our two-stroke
Mercury 90, as is normal with carburetor motors at this altitude. When we
finally arrived at McGee Bay we found over ten boats that had already beat us to
the location. Most anglers were casting with fly rods versus spinning gear so we
broke out the Escape and went to town. I found the Escape rod can cast anything
from 1/32-1/2oz in weight with the six Fuji guides (this is 1/4oz greater than
the G.Loomis recommended rating).
Cal cooks dinner while JIP preps
the campsite
Retrieving: Once
the lure was in the water I found the Escape more than capable at working lures
in the water with light line. I fished a variety of spinners and spoons and
within the first few casts got hit on a Kastmaster. The fish didn’t run like a
trout, in fact it felt more like a Crappie or Bass. The reason revealed itself
as I brought my first Sacramento Perch to the surface. The perch weighed in at
just under 2lbs, and during the trip I would catch many more cookie-cutter perch
on blades. While the Perch was entertaining I was here for the trout.
Good morning Crowley, time to put
the boat in the water and start fishing...um, I mean get to work
Next Section: Sensitivity and
Power
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