The man behind the rod
What goes into the creation of a new rod range? We quiz Eoin Fairgrieve, lead designer of Loop’s latest rod series
Q
Tell us about your latest rod range, Eoin?
With pleasure. It’s called Trak. As a design team, our objective was clear: to develop a high-performance fly-rod that complements a range of casting abilities and applications while delivering excellent value for money.
Q
Would you say that you’ve achieved your objectives?
Yes, it appears so. We felt that the rods were good throughout development but knew the market would always be the ultimate litmus test. Many are saying that the Trak range punches well above its weight. Initial indications suggest it will be one of our best-ever launches.
Each model is individually assessed and tailored to suit its end use.
A rod should not just be a casting tool, but also a user-friendly and responsive fishing tool
Q
How many rods are in the lineup?
Fifteen in total, including a euro-nymphing rod with two tips, standard-sized single-handers, a switch model and three double-handers. Everything from light-line trout fishing on rivers, large and small stillwaters, big-river salmon and steelhead, and saltwater, is covered.
Q
How would you describe their action?
The series was developed with a mid-fast action to complement the broadest range of user ability. They have been designed with a calculated flex curve, effective for both casting and fly-fishing. A rod should not just be a casting tool, but also a user-friendly and responsive fishing tool — one that both novices and experts get something from.
A rod can be a great casting tool, but ultimately it must cope with every aspect of fishing.
A rod should also, where necessary, be able to subdue strong fish while acting as an efficient shock absorber. By definition, a good fly-rod requires balance to excel in both these roles. Finding this balance was our primary goal with Trak.
Once initial samples are received, we test them in real fishing conditions to evaluate the performance and the robustness of both the blank and components
Q
From design to shop floor, how long does the process take?
It starts at the conception stage, using a focus group discussion to identify our target market, decide price points and the number of models. We then go into design and development, working closely with our manufacturers on blank actions and rod components. Once initial samples are received, we test them in real fishing conditions to evaluate the performance and the robustness of both the blank and components.
From conception to having rods in shops can take around 10-12 months, depending on the size of the range.
It shouldn’t matter whose hands it’s in.
Q
How much does your personal fishing style influence the rods you design?
It’s a very good question. My preference is a faster action rod. The faster the rod, the more synced the timing must be to maximise its casting performance. With a fast action, there’s less room for error during the casting cycle. But when used correctly, tight, energy-efficient loops make casting an absolute pleasure.
That said, this action does not suit all fly-fishers — a mid-fast blank is best for most users and abilities. From a sales perspective, why wouldn’t you appeal to a wider audience?
Rod design cannot, therefore, always be biased towards the designer’s personal preference — it should be based around the needs of mainstream anglers.
With Trak, we had a focus group of Tweed gillies offering input into our double-handed rod actions
Q
How do you balance sensitivity and power in modern fly-rod design?
Modern blank construction allows for both. Developments in carbon and resin combinations allow for rods that are lightweight, parabolic, mid-fast or fast in action, but with one common denominator: positive tip recovery.
With the effective dampening of the blank by fast tip recovery, power transfer is more direct, negating any deflection and counter-deflection when the rod is brought to a positive stop on the forward cast. This enhanced sensitivity also benefits detection of delicate takes without compromising the power reserve in the blank.
Q
What role do prototypes and testing play in your design process?
They are fundamental. With Trak, we had a focus group of Tweed gillies offering input into our double-handed rod actions, as well as three-time World Speycasting Champion Gordon Armstrong who was instrumental in the entire testing process. All were experienced professionals and excellent Spey casters. Throughout, we used a comprehensive selection of fly-line profiles, from Skagit and shooting heads, right through to long-bellied Spey lines. The switch rod and three double-handers were rigorously tested to perform in a range of scenarios.
As a collective, we evaluated each rod over a period of 6–8 months, making plus-or-minus percentage changes to certain sections, fine-tuning each model to be as user-friendly as possible for the broadest range of techniques. These changes can have subtle or major effects on the rod’s action, reducing or increasing a particular section’s stiffness. The development of a fly-rod’s action is a long process of swapping out various sections until the sweet spot has been found for its application.
Eoin puts a Trak double-hander through its paces on the River Teviot.
It’s about teamwork, with practical knowledge integrated into precision engineering
Q
Do you rely more on objective measurements or “feel” when refining a rod?
Both elements are important, but I would suggest fly casting is more sensory than mathematical. Our team’s interpretation of the correct action for the application is based very much on feel, backed by years of professional fishing experience.
That said, there are numerous calculations in blank development and construction for fly-rods. From the exact measurements for cutting the carbon for rod tapers to calculating the optimised distance of ring spacing, there’s a lot of maths involved.
The relationship with our manufacturers is critical. Their engineers translate our team’s input into the product exceptionally well. It’s about teamwork, with practical knowledge integrated into precision engineering to build performance fly-rods.
Q
When designing a rod for a specific application, what variables change the most?
Let’s use salmon fishing as an example. The important factor to consider is the end user of the rod. From a performance and commercial standpoint, the rod must be user-friendly yet must perform throughout the range of modern Spey-casting techniques.
Anglers cast differently. For example, UK and Irish Spey casters often use a top-hand-dominant style, whereas Scandinavians use a noticeable lower-hand power application.
Other variables to consider are the fly-line profiles relative to the length of rods and the size of rivers. A long Spey head used on a 15m-wide river is out of proportion and over-gunned for the environment. By the same token, a short shooting head used on a large 60m river may be under-gunned.
Again, we return to finding a balance in blank actions that cover a range of abilities, line profiles and fishing situations.
There’s no better feedback than from professionals in the industry who are actively fishing and guiding clients on a daily basis
Trak rods were tested the world over, this 9ft 6wt in Patagonia.
Q
How much influence do professional guides and anglers have on your design process?
There’s no better feedback than from professionals in the industry who are actively fishing and guiding clients on a daily basis. They can evaluate rod actions over many hours and in a range of conditions.
Our objective is to honour Loop’s legacy of pushing the boundaries of rod construction
Q
Are fly-rods nearing a technological plateau, or is there still major innovation ahead?
If innovation is defined as constantly looking at incremental improvements to fly-rods, then I would say future developments are very positive for Loop. We have integrated next-generation carbons into some of our new 2026 rods and we’re looking at some exciting reel-seat innovation for specialist fishing applications.
We may be beyond massive leaps in fly-rod technology though, and we’re getting closer to the threshold of lightness relative to power and robustness.
That said, our objective is to honour Loop’s legacy of pushing the boundaries of rod construction. We strive for improvement in every aspect of our fly-rod design.
Q
How do you decide what a rod will look like?
My responsibility is to develop the physical rod. The name, the branding and colour scheme are developed by our design and marketing team, who work closely with our factories to achieve the desired aesthetic. Both the rod-design team and the marketing team progress together before collectively signing off to allow the production order to be placed with our manufacturers.
Branding is subjective, but it must live seamlessly within the Loop range.
Q
Knowing which line to put on a rod is a major issue for consumers. What advice would you give in this regard?
The application and fishing environment are the main factors to consider. With our single-handed fly-rods, simply match the line classification to your chosen density. If you’re relatively new to fly-fishing or want a slightly deeper load in the rod’s action, choose a fly-line with a half-size increment (these are lines manufactured to be a half-size heavier). For example, if your rod is a 5wt, match it with a 5.5wt line to marginally slow the rod’s casting tempo.
A deeper-loading, middle-to-tip action, but with a fast tip — it appears Eoin may have found the sweet spot with the Trak range.
Our double-handed fly-rods have printed on the blank the suggested weight parameters in weight classification, grams and grains. For example, the 14ft Trak is rated as a 9wt with the following: SCANDI 34g–38g / SKAGIT 550gr–600gr. If we take the grams as our reference, 34g is the base development weight and can be matched perfectly with a corresponding head weight from manufacturers like Gaelforce and Rio. That said, the performance window offers a 4g tolerance to factor in the addition of density tips to the main head without any compromise of fishing performance.
Q
Finally, what is your favourite rod in the range?
Being primarily a salmon angler, the 14ft 9wt Trak. I really like the 9ft 5wt too.
