I have been fortunate enough to get my hands on the Loop Q 7wt fly rod. Loop designed the Q series to be a high quality rod at a competitive price point. Quality and affordable is something I personally like. After spending some time on the water with the 7wt Loop Q here are some of my thoughts:
Pros:
- Sensitivity: This rod is surprisingly sensitive. I can clearly remember my first cast with the Loop Q. Please allow me to paint the scenario, I had already had a great day on the water with my normal rod and it was time to test out the Loop Q on a carp flat. I had waded out about 15 or so feet from the bank and decided to cast parallel to the shore to feel how this rod felt while casting. This rod felt amazing! I was able to easily feel when the rod had loaded and the rod had the speed to quickly deliver a decently distanced cast! I wish I could say I caught a fish on that very first cast, but I didn’t. A few casts later and I was able to get my fly into the path of a cruising carp with a quick strip set the game was on. I could feel every twist and turn from the carp!
- Look: This rod comes in a matte gray color with silver thread wraps. The color combination definitely works. The 7wt (up to 10 wt) all have a nice light-colored cork handle and fighting butt that compliment the gray and silver of the rod. In the reel seat there is a Q that is Loop Q comes in a matte gray color. The thread wraps for the rod are silver and the color combination looks great!
- Price: I am a fan of high quality gear that doesn’t cost a lot. I believe that this rod sits at a great price point! It is listed currently at $229.00. The price on Loop priced this rod extremely competitively. The Q series has the feel of a much higher priced rod.
- Alignment dots : I like fishing. Anything that can speed up my setup times and get me on the water faster is a good idea. Also having a more accurate alignment does help with casting.
Cons:
- Backbone: The rod has the ability to generate quality line speed and would do a great job tossing small to decent sized streamers. The feel of casting and retrieving flies was awesome! If I were out chucking streamers on the Madison River or the Green River (or fill in the blank river) and targeting trout this rod would be awesome! As someone who targets carp that can readily break the 10lb barrier this rod does lack a little backbone. I had the fun privilege of landing both some 15-22 inch mirror carp and some 10-17lb carp while using the 7wt Loop Q. The 7wt was a joy for the fish under 10 pounds and it had a little less backbone for controlling the bigger fish. That being said the fish were landed, it was just more difficult than I would have liked.
Overall the Loop Q 7wt is a lot of fun to fish. There is definitely a plan in mind for where I want to use this rod in the future. I can’t wait to see what adventures this rod takes me on!
Check out the Q and other offerings from Loop Tackle by clicking HERE
