G. Loomis catapulted itself back into the spotlight last summer with the announcement of the Asquith, its $1,000-plus flagship series which has been showered with accolades. As a follow up, G. Loomis is debuting its new IMX-PRO series of fly rods, which the company says is the result of dozens upon dozens of meetings with guides during which Loomis asked one basic question: what kind of rods do you need for today's trout fishing?

The IMX-PRO series is mid-priced and is built using Loomis' IMX-PRO MATRIX material which the company has been using to build conventional rods aimed at tournament bass anglers. IMX-PRO MATRIX is a material that, according to Loomis, allows them to use fewer wraps of graphite and build fast, responsive rods that are lighter and more sensitive without sacrificing power or durability.

But it is the concept of today's trout fishing or "modern" trout fishing, as Loomis calls it, that really drives taper designs throughout the IMX-PRO series. The lineup is split into three categories: freshwater, streamer and short spey, each of which contains rods that Loomis calls "purpose driven." Whether the rod in question is a 5 or 6-weight four piece rod aimed at throwing big bugs and dropper rigs in the Rockies, one of the IMX-PRO's two one-piece streamer rods designed to throw sinking lines and bulky, articulated streamers or one of its five 11'11" short spey models aimed at meeting the demands of the growing base of two-handed trout anglers, each model in the IMX-PRO lineup was designed with a specific fishing task in mind.

The new G. Loomis IMX-PRO is U.S.-built at Loomis' Woodland, WA facility. Pricing ranges between $425 and $575. Available July 12.