Done with G. Loomis...

FAOL Community Fly Anglers Online
1

I’m done with the whole company. I’ll tell everyone I know that their products are junk, they aren’t good for the sport of fly fishing, and those in charge are either jerks or just plain stupid. I own two of their reels, which will go in the trash tomorrow.

Saw this ‘ad’. Full back cover of Flyfishing & Tying Journal.

Photo of a couple of guys in a boat.

‘WHAT YOU SAY-I don’t care how many fish I catch, It’s just great to be out here on the water.’

‘WHAT YOU MEAN-I’ve hooked seven and you’ve only hooked one.’

‘WHAT YOU FISH- GLOOMIS.COM’

Not me, never again.

I think it was John Gierach that said something about jerks being hard to hide for long on a fishing trip…not a quote, but along those lines. Seems that the G. Loomis Company has managed to show itself to be in the same ‘jerk’ class.

I’ve been in the boat with the competitive types. Not fun folks to be around. I try very hard not to associate with them. Little can ruin a day of fishing faster than someone who thinks they have to ‘keep score’.

That any fly fishing company would intentionally play to that mentality, or even believe that there are a significant number of fly fishermen who think that way, offends me deeply. That any fly fishermen would beleive it’s okay to think that way, or behave in that way, belittles the sport. I’d certainly prefer that they take up (I don’t know what to put here without offending someone who doesn’t deserve jerks like that) and not consider themselves fly fishermen. I know that I don’t want to fish with, associate with, or even be around someone that would think like that.

There was time when no company trying to sell tackle to fly fishermen would be so crass, or so obviously offensive.

Haven’t all of us had days when our friends have done well and we haven’t? Or vice versa? Was the day wasted? Did not we have the camraderie, the conversation, the chance to share the joy of another? Is the lack of respect between anglers come to the point where another’s failure gives us pleasure?

Have we not come past the point where the mere number of fish caught is the goal. If it was just about the numbers, would we not simply dangle a worm or cheese ball and consign the vanquished to a sharp knife and a hot skillet?

This ‘advertisement’ speaks to the lowest level of our sport. If that is who GLoomis wishes to have as their patrons, they are welcome to them.

I’ll not be one, though.

Buddy

2

I try my hardest to not let adds positively or negatively affect my view of a product.

Your qualm is with a couple stiffs in advertising, not the entire company imho.

3

Buddy,

I am looking for a couple of reels for my reel-less rods. If you are throwing them away… I promise I won’t out fish you or be a jerk if I do.

Seriously… are you throwing them out? I will pay postage!

Scott

4

Scott,

That poses a dilemma for me. My opinion of you as a fly fisherman is worth more to me than the cost of these reels. They get thrown away. I’d not want anyone to see them on a river, stream, or lake and think they are gear suitable for a fly fisherman.

I also have built a couple of rods on Loomis blanks. Luckliy, I didn’t mark them with the Loomis logo or name. These, I will give to some local kids who will use them and not have their path to becoming ethical fly fishermen tainted by an obvious association with such a base and classless company.

MTSKIBum,

I never allow advertising to positively effect my views of a product. The reverse is not the case, however, when it comes not to a specific product, but to the company as a whole.

Those ‘stiffs’ in advertising have to get their work approved by the folks that run the place. Advertising is very important to a company that bases it’s ads on an image, not on a specific product. THAT is what this ad from Loomis was all about. Not a particular rod, reel, or such, but a mindset of what it believes is it’s customer base.

I find that ‘mindset’ abhorrent. That a company would specifically ‘target’ it offends me. I certainly do not want to be associated with them in any way.

Think about a company that sells alcoholic beverages of some sort running a similar ad. Friend offers to let you stay at his house. He introduces you to his wife…what you say-pleased to meet you and thank you for having me as a guest in your home…what you mean-wait until ol’ Bob goes out of town, I’ll get you drunk and take advantage of you…what you drink-Billy’s Bourbon…

I never want to see a company that caters to the base and classless get ahead. I know there are folks that think like that…I just don’t want to ‘know’ them…

Buddy

5

As an engineer, I am upset that you are throwing away a product that engineers probably spents close to 10,000 hours designing over the years, just because of an ad that a stupid marketing guy spent 5 minutes on.

I hate marketing

6

I’m so glad I don’t think fly fishing is a religion.

7

Buddy; waaaait a minute…didn’t Gary sell GLoomis to Shimano a few years back?

And, haven’t we posted a number of articles on here referencing the advertising hype of the fly fishing industry as a whole to sell product?

I think there’s an ex-Governor that paid a tremendous amount of money for an inferior product that really stung him…same scenario applies to the fly fishing product industry…they tell us, through advertising hype that we need to pay $700 for theirs, when the $149 product, learned to use correctly, will give us just as much pleasure.

Regards, Jim

8

Buddy, I think that by throwing away the reels rather than allowing someone the pleasure of getting something he would not normally be able to afford is simply wasteful and selfish on your part. I could care less about the marketing of a product, until it get to this point where IT is controlling YOU. Somehow I would think that you are better than that, but I could be wrong. Next time you’re going to WASTE something, don’t bother to tell us about it. There’s some kid out there who would mow your damn lawn for a year to get what you’re going to throw in the garbage.

Yes, your actions have really upset me, especially when it affects a fellow fly fisher. Ranting is one thing, but you’ve taken it to a new low. I hope you feel real good about yourself for sharing this with us.

Joe

9

Amen, Bamboozle…I’d be afraid of falling off the pulpit and crushing my ‘fly fisherman’ halo!

10

Advertising hasn’t really bothered me up until the past few years. Granted I haven’t seen many fly-tackle ads, I have, however, had my fill of pick-up ads and one particular hard-core Dodge Ram guy who was constantly trying to impress me with the power and off-road capability of his truck, as if the ads didn’t do that already. Two things were constantly on his mind, trucks and women. I’m single and I hate Dodge because I let what he had to say affect me.

I don’t like it when people compete like that, and I seriously believe that an advertisement shouldn’t affect someone’s personal preference, but I am the last person to succumb to a corporations advertising gimmicks, whether I buy the product or not. To each, his own.

As far as throwing away perfectly good reels, why don’t you sell them, buy a couple of cheap fly-fishing outfits, and teach some people how to fly-fish. I wouldn’t waste my money throwing away something like that when I could get something good out of it. And if you really want to get rid of them, I’ll take them and possibly pay some tuition with them.

11

I haven’t seen the add so I’m not quite sure if you are upset with the advertising somehow promoting the “act” of being a jerk when fishing - or if you are unhappy with the G. Loomis products.

It seems that your reaction to the advertisement – throwing your gear away – is way out of proportion to what I would consider a reasonable reaction. Being done with them - i.e. not supporting them by not buying them is reasonable, throwing all your gear away just to make a point is silly. Who does it hurt – not the company. Telling us about your disatisfaction is also effective because it makes us think twice about buying G. Loomis
stuff - and may be our behavior while on the river a little bit.

The beauty of a free market/economy is to be able to choose who you shop with – if you don’t like them, don’t buy their product.

As for promoting jerks – well, they were on river long before this ad appeared. I fish with a group of guys and we always are teasing each other about who caught more, who’s gear is better, who’s boat is better, etc. An outsider might think we are jerks; however, it is kept between ourselves and is just our way of having fun.

Don’t throw your stuff away, give it to the boy scouts, the neighbor kid, whoever. Try to turn what is a negative to you into a positive.

I don’t personally use Loomis products but thats mainly because our local fly shop doesn’t carry much of their product line.

12

I am not a fan of that type of advertisement either. But, it is all around us, not just in a couple Loomis ads.

As others have said, if you really are going to throw those reels away, please find a kid, Boy Scout troop or anybody who could really use and need them and pass them along. That way you may help get a kid really inerested in fly fishing and help them stay away from other bad stuff.

13

Okay guys,

I can see your point about wasting the reels. The light of dawn and some reflection shows I probably over reacted in that instance.

I was going to strip the lines and trash them. But, I have a place where the rods will get used…I’ll just put suitable lines on the reels and include them with the rods.

I’m still offended by the ad, and I do think it’s important that when something like that occurs, the reaction needs to be public.

However, if my strong reaction to this offended any of you, I do apologize.

Buddy

14

Buddy, I will not comment on your opinion nor your reasons for it, but I will support this. In fact, rather than throwing things away, run over them, take a picture of them under your tire, put them in a vise, clobber them with a club, they are yours. Do whatever you want. You might even send them back to the company after.

Oh, hey, you remember one of the greatest fly ads ever? G. Loomis. A guy with a pair of flytying scissors, in line at an opera, sneaking up behind a lady in a mink coat. A classic. But, I supposed someone got ticked off about that too; mink coat makers, opera nuts, sneaky people. :slight_smile: :slight_smile:

15

i hear you on that and for me its just a fun hobby. thats all :smiley:

16

Buddy,
I wasn’t offended…found it an interesting reaction…the kind my Dad used to say was…“cutting off your nose to spite your face”.

Sometimes when I’m thinking of what I consider a very principled response I think of what he said and then become more pragmatic .

17

Because you don’t like an ad? That’s a new one in my book. Buddy, no offense, but I’d hate to fish with you and it would be worse to catch one before you did. After reading your rant, I’d be afraid to breath or cast a line. I wouldn’t want to offend you and it would make me very uncomfortable.
As for me, like a duck, I let it (the Loomis ad)roll off my back. Loomis still makes some of the best fly rods today.
I think Toyota’s ad with the Tundra going down a ramp at the edge of a cliff is on the brink of bad advertising, but if I was looking to buy a new truck, I wouldn’t let this ad keep me from looking or buying a Toy. It’s just an ad.

Bamboozle, it ain’t a religion? Why didn’t anyone tell me before.

18

Buddy -

No doubt, if I had seen that ad, I would have been offended, not likely as much as you were.

I’m not surprised that you finally figured out that you probably over reacted to the ad. And I suspect you would have come to that point without the over reactions of some to your initial post.

It’s for you to apologize or not - I don’t think you owe anyone an apology. If anything, there may be some others that owe you an apology.

Glad you are going to give the rods and reels to someone who can use them and enjoy them.

John

19

I like Loomis rods and its products in general, but not the reels. I really doubt that engineers spent appreciable time desgning those.

20

Buddy

Lighten Up!