Review: Loop Goran Andersson 9’4″ in 4wt

Overall Rating: 

“If you’re a dry fly trout angler who enjoys the casting aspect of our wonderful sport, you might want to sit up and take notice of this rod. Goran is simply one of the most efficient fly casters the world has known. His casting grace is amplified with his unique fly rod designs.
His cult-favorite 9’4″ four weight has always been a wanted rod, but now he’s made it even better. Always the perfectionist, Goran spent over a year testing, tweaking and casting this particular model until he found magic. It casts with efficiency not known in other rods. It fishes with amazing line control. The result for you is an efficient and graceful cast that doesn’t just catch fish…it earns them.
If you’re looking to raise the bar for your fly fishing experience, you can’t do much better than this particular rod from the master…Goran Andersson!”

My Outfit:

I have purchased a full Loop outfit. Loop has designed a full Opti serie that includes rod, reel and line. The result is a “balanced” outfit for an enhanced experience.
Loop Goran Andersson 9’4″ in 4 weight (GASS 494-4)
Loop Opti Creek Fly Reel
Loop Evotec 85 Fly Line, Floating, 4 weight

Craftmanship:

 

	The dark grey blank with the red thread looks amazing.
	Dot mark on ferrules for correct fit. I really like this simple feature. It saves me time.
	The GASS features a triangular reel-seat. However I am not a huge fan of the metal matte color. I would have preferred in a grey gun color.

I would prefer a different color / design on the reel seat. It looks a bit cheap when having a closer look.

Weight and Swing Weight:

The GASS 4wt is a 9’4″ is very light. It’s 3.32oz (about 94 grams). And it’s swing weight is amazing.
This rod is hard to compare to others as it’s not a conventional length with its 4 extra inches.

Distance & Accuracy:

This rod is a Medium – Fast with deep flexing to the butt. Feel and action is subjective. But this rod is by far the favorite I was able to cast.

25 feet:At this distance, the rod soft tip offers very good precision.
45 feet: Tight loops. Great precision. Effortless. A pleasure to cast.
70 feet: Love the tight loops. Effortless while double hauling up to 70ft. It’s not a long cast rod, but I don’t cast to fish over 70ft.

Conclusion:

PROS:

• Awesome looking rod, dark grey matte finish with red thread.
• A pleasure to cast!
• The rod has a very distinct feel/action.
• Dot mark on ferrules.

CONS:

• Very expensive rod.
• Reel-seat isn’t my favorite.