G•Loomis STR 1263C
May 5, 2008
GLoomis’ STR 1263C is ten and a half feet of bad-ass steelhead whipping technology.
Don’t let the line and power ratings (6-12 lb. and medium-light) fool you, the GLoomis STR 1263 is a serious steelhead catching machine. At 10′6″, it’s got excellent castability and line control capabilities for drift fishing big rivers and plenty of line-lifting for float fishing. It’s also billed as a light-duty mooching rod for silvers.
Key Features
• Ample backbone
• Reasonably soft tip
• Available in GL2 or GL3
On the Water Test
I recently took the 1263 to British Columbia to chase trophy steelies. I opted for the GL3 model and used it primarily as a float rod. Initially, however, I drifted eggs and Slinkies with it and was instantly impressed with the castability of the stick — damn, a county mile and then some! But, it wasn’t just about distance…for such a long rod, I had pretty good cast control with it and was able to drop my gear on the edges of log jams and under overhanging trees with amazing precision…Of course, I’d like to take all the credit for that one, but I know the rod had something to do with it!
While the STR 1263 is a good drift rod, it’s the Mac Daddy of steelhead float rods. Its length made mending the line and keeping my float drifting along drag-free a snap. Though the tip has some give, it’s still got enough power to set hooks solidly and land fish in hot water. Here she is in action…
My buddy Matt also fished a 1263 on that trip…check out that sweet bend!
As you can see, the rod had plenty of cajones to handle the hard-charging brutes of the North. In fact, I dubbed mine “Big Poppi” and Matt ended up calling his “The Whuppin’ Stick” — we both were, of course referring to our 1263s…just to avoid confusion :)
If the rod can put toads like this on the beach, you can rest assured it can handle steelies on your home water…
Conclusion
All I can say is the STR 1263 is a man’s stick! Go confidently north with it and slay like a champion! I really appreciated all the power so I could land those BC beauties in reasonably short order and get them back on their way to the spawning grounds.
While I haven’t had a chance to mooch in the salt with it yet, I started thinking that the STR 1263 may be a sweet light-duty surf rod the next time I head down to Baja.
The only downside I could find is the rod’s length makes it a bit tip heavy…Before I started fishing with it, I was a little concerned that it would be something that would start to bother me at some point throughout the day but I can honestly say I never noticed it once I got on the water and had 20 pounders on the brain.
This is a bad-ass rod…4 stars!
GL3 version, MSRP $320
GL2 version, MSRP: $240
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