After much anticipation and months of decision making my Cross Current GLX finally arrived from G.Loomis.  I had first seen the rod at the Spring Fishing Show in Toronto around April 2003.  The Cross Current series rods are marketed as salt water fly rods although picking one up in Toronto made me think of the possibilities such a rod would have on the local Salmon / Steelhead waters.  They come in GL3 and GLX tapers, as well as 1 piece PRO-1 series for those who never need to take their rods apart.

Seeing how it was a new rod this year, I was interested in trying one out, however my decision was delayed due to some similar top end Sage rods.  Ultimately, just as the salmon season arrived I took the leap and ordered an 9ft 8wt 4pc GLX model, deciding to try Loomis' best.

The rod isn't cheap, coming in at $999 CDN MSRP (Approx $635 US) however the quality and the craftsmanship more than make up for it.  The rod also came with a lifetime warranty, a classy rod sock, and elegant case.  You can tell it's not cheap just by looking at it.  I coupled the rod with an Okuma Large Arbor Integrity 8/9 reel (read review on this reel here) and Rio Steelhead & Atlantic Salmon fly line (WF8F).  The combo matched perfectly!

The first test of the rod came this weekend as a buddy and I decided to check out some Lake Ontario tributaries, and hopefully hook into some steelhead, or whatever was left of the salmon run.  The first thing I noticed about this rod is the moderate-fast and powerful taper, although it's a touch slower than a classic GLX.  I can easily pick up 60' of line and punch 90' back out in one cast.  The rod loads easily enough, allowing greater control when casting.  It's also a lot lighter than you would expect just by looking at it, mostly due to the new guides (read on for more about the guides).  Roll casts were especially easy with this rod, although that is also due in part to the excellent Rio line.

The handle, and fighting butt section are made from Portuguese cork and are as comfortable as can be.  The reel seat is made from anodized olive aluminum and carbon fiber.  Not only does it look cool, but it also allows the reel to sit correctly, without any give.  2 fasteners are provided to ensure the reel doesn't move once secured.  I didn't run into any issues.

The next thing I noticed while casting towards the deep, dark pools of the Lake Ontario creek are the REC recoil guides on the rod.  They are unlike anything else I've ever fished with.  The guides actually have the ability to move to some degree independently of the rod.  If that wasn't cool enough, the guides will actually bounce back to their original form if they are compressed (and yes that does happen).  Nice to know that if I step on the guide it will pop back up.  The movement in the guides didn't seem to effect casting in any way.

Overall the rod performed beautifully.  Definitely one of the best 8wts I've ever tried / owned.  My fishing partner and I were able to latch into 3 Chinook, 1 Coho, and 1 beautiful Brown before heading home.  The rod has plenty of back bone to fight bruits in the current (this is where you really get to experience the salt water qualities of this rod).  My only dislike was that the rod didn't have a hook holder just above the handle.  It may sound minute, however hooking a fly on an eyelet instead of a hook holder often damages the eyelet, resulting in premature wear of fly line.  Again it may sound picky but it would have been nice, especially on a top end rod such as this one (this is the only reason I didn't rate the rod a 5).

G.Loomis has 21 Cross Current models to chose from.  Having only tried one I can honestly say that I would purchase another.  These rods are versatile enough to use just about everywhere but the smallest of trout creeks, far exceeding their salt water intentions.  I strongly recommend testing one out if you are in the market for a top end rod.