St Croix Imperial 9' 5wt not so much

[luckydude]

I've recently extolled the virtues of the St Croix Imperial rods, I bought a 7.5' and a 8' 4wt for my kids (and have to admit I fish them in brush and love 'em, they are pretty fast, cast well, feel well, lots to like).

I have a Sage 590-4 RPL (which translates to a 5wt, 9', 4 pc) from around 1987ish. I find it a little heavy but I use it.

Given the love for the shorter Imperials I went off and got a 9' 5wt today and brought it home and tried it out. Yuck. My old sage is much better, I was doing A/B tests out in our pasture, the sage casts better.

So I stand behind loving the shorter rods at 4wt but the longer one at 5wt is lame. Here's hoping they'll take it back.

[BillB]

Even an old Sage can bring considerable competition to the casting pond! I have 4 RPL's and an RPL+ (7wt. and my favorite). I have never felt compelled to replace them as they do what I want them to do. I like the way they handle for me.

[NorCalDrifter56]

All rods feel different and different rods demand different casting strokes. What does the St Croix NOT do? Is it a distance issue? I have used rods that work fine at 50' or 60' but at 75' they seem to collapse under pressure. If that is the case take it back... The reputable shop you purchased it at should do that no problem. It may be a problem with the spline of the rod or the ferrule construction. Try casting a different rod of the same model and see if it performs the same. If it does then you just don't like the feel of that particular rod.

As a guide I have many rods dating back to the 80's (Sage , Scott, Orvis, Fisher, Loomis etc...) and while they all perform they all feel different.

Feel free to PM me if you have any specific questions.

Curtis Cole
www.curtsfishingadventures.com

[Bill Kiene semi-retired]

If you live near a fly shop that carries lots of different brands and models of fly rods you can usually go in and parking lot cast them.

We always try to get the customer to take around three or four rods that they have narrowed down some then cast them all. This is far better than having your buddy recommend something that might not fit your casting style.

In smaller, shorter rods it is not that critical what generation of graphite they are using so low end rods are fine in this area. Small line size, shorter rods in split cane and fiberglass are even competitive today.

As fly rods get longer you need a better rod which equates to higher technology of composites = $$$.

**We have some Hardy/Greys 10' 4 piece rods in #3, 4 and 5 line size that are just over $300 that are very nice though.

If you want a 10' #7 single hand rod you need to be careful because some of the low end ones weigh a ton.They will still cast a long distance but it is very tiring.

Example: We special ordered a low end 10' #8 line, 4 piece fly rod that for several reasons we don't stock. After he got it and cast it at home he said it was just too heavy. I guess if he took advantage of our decades of experience here we could have saved him a lot of time. We did take the rod back and will probably sell it very cheaply to get rid of it.

**Longer heavy line size fly rods don't sell well and now they are even slower because of Spey casting. You will see single hand fly rods on sale like a 10' #9 line size because they are just too much rod for most.

If you want a 10' single hand rod that is light you usually have to spend some money to get something that doesn't weigh a ton.


**If you like a fast action, right now the lightest, best value is probably the new TFO "BVK" series in all sizes @ $249 usd.

.

[Terry Imai]

Before you take your rod back, I think you need to consider a few things. Here's a posting from George Anderson's fly shop in Montana with his 5# rod review:

http://www.yellowstoneangler.com/FlyRodReview.Best5weightflyrod.HardyZenith.SageZ-axis.WinstonB3x.WinstonBIIIx.LoomisNRX.SageVXP.StC roixLegendEliteTempleforkBVK.asp

While the St. Croix Imperial wasn't listed on the review, there were various criteria in determining the actual "performance" of the rod'. Sometimes when a person gets into fly fishing, they take a "linear" view of things but following that track can often put you into a corner. An example is when you really like model X in this size and length, so that means a different size and weight from the same manufacturer should provide the same performance. In a perfect world, every rod manufacturer should have a minimum level of performance but I have seen rods from the top manufacturers that were deemed to be real "dogs". If you take the time to review George Anderson's review especially focusing on the lower rated rods who have a large price tag; you will see that he often mentions that the simple act of lining the rod by just one weight improve drastically the performance of the rod.

I don't know what fly line you're currently using with your new rod but I'm assuming it's a 5# weight forward. If you know someone that will either lend you a 6# weight forward or go back to the shop you purchased the rod to try a new line. You bought the rod via mail order?? That's one good reason why you should always support your local fly shop rather than the Big Boxes!!! Let's say your rod now becomes magic with the 6# line, then I would highly recommend to anyone who will use their rod on moving water (versus stillwater) at least 20% of the time would be to purchase the Rio Trout LT in a weight forward. This is the finest FISHING line I've ever come across. The Gold and Grand are fine for distance but the Trout LT can cast, mend and do your laundry on Sundays...


Just my $.02....