Stcroix legend elite

[core fly]

I fish the 6wt in the legend elite and it is a fantastic all round rod.I always heard the legend ultra was a tad slower and offered better presentation over the elite but did not cast as tight a loop as the elite.
Sunday i had the chance to cast the elite/ultra and a explorer t50 back to back in the 9wt sizes.
The elite and ultra have the same grips,real seats etc but the blank colour differs.I actually think the ultra looks fantastic.
The elite can cast a full line with very little effort.I could feel the power in this rod and it felt like it would take a lot of backing had i not had a slightly breeze from the front.
When i picked up the ultra i immediatly felt i needed to slow down the cast and the breeze also did not help.It did not have the power of the elite but it was close.I could feel the blank actually "soften" as i got longer in the cast.I think this rod is a gem for medium distances,but if you are used to fast action rods its gonna feel like the rod is bending too much.
Both these i cast using rio clouser line.
The elite is not for the beginner caster,at all.Even the ultra might be a bit fast if you have just started out.

Now i picked up the T50.Wow.Light,responsive and good finish.Not quite the looker of the other two but still nice.As for the casting.The T50 slots in just behind the elite in "stiffness" but it really lacked in line control.
Its hard to describe.It throws a very long line but the cast feels all over the place,the loop not as tight,but yet i could cast a full line.(this is my current 9wt).I always liked the t50 and it is good value for money but now I realize exactly what i want in a 9wt rod,another Elite thanks.

[Myfly]

Hello,

I know how you feel casting the Legend elite 6wt because I have the same rod.
I use it now for carp at the local pond.
Also I have the elite ultra 7'9'' 3wt , 8'6'' 4wt and just arrived the 9'9'' 7wt that I hopefully will use for sea trout this year.
The presentation of the 3wt and 4wt is superb for trout and grayling and these rods become my favorits for small to mid sized rivers.

Enjoy your rods every day and catch fish

Mike

[saflyfish]

nice mini review there...the st croix is the only brand flyrod i dont own.Maybe its time...

[redhumpy]

nice mini review there...the st croix is the only brand flyrod i dont own.Maybe its time...

That is amazing! I am wondering which of these rods are better - can you help me out here?
Elkhorn
Loop
Echo
Fenwick
Wilson
Composite Development
Colton
C F Burkheimer
Beulah
Mystic


Appreciated.

[smallstreams.co.za]

Wilson

Good for indicators??

[Andre]

Better for what?

That is amazing! I am wondering which of these rods are better - can you help me out here?
Elkhorn
Loop
Echo
Fenwick
Wilson
Composite Development
Colton
C F Burkheimer
Beulah
Mystic


Appreciated.

[Andre]

If it doesn't cast a tight loop, it might be a very good still water rod. Tight loops are not always ideal, sometimes (in fact most of the time) when fishing a still water, you need a rod that can keep the loop open. Some rods are not designed to always cast a tight loop.

I fish the 6wt in the legend elite and it is a fantastic all round rod.I always heard the legend ultra was a tad slower and offered better presentation over the elite but did not cast as tight a loop as the elite.
Sunday i had the chance to cast the elite/ultra and a explorer t50 back to back in the 9wt sizes.
The elite and ultra have the same grips,real seats etc but the blank colour differs.I actually think the ultra looks fantastic.
The elite can cast a full line with very little effort.I could feel the power in this rod and it felt like it would take a lot of backing had i not had a slightly breeze from the front.
When i picked up the ultra i immediatly felt i needed to slow down the cast and the breeze also did not help.It did not have the power of the elite but it was close.I could feel the blank actually "soften" as i got longer in the cast.I think this rod is a gem for medium distances,but if you are used to fast action rods its gonna feel like the rod is bending too much.
Both these i cast using rio clouser line.
The elite is not for the beginner caster,at all.Even the ultra might be a bit fast if you have just started out.

Now i picked up the T50.Wow.Light,responsive and good finish.Not quite the looker of the other two but still nice.As for the casting.The T50 slots in just behind the elite in "stiffness" but it really lacked in line control.
Its hard to describe.It throws a very long line but the cast feels all over the place,the loop not as tight,but yet i could cast a full line.(this is my current 9wt).I always liked the t50 and it is good value for money but now I realize exactly what i want in a 9wt rod,another Elite thanks.

[dtayl13]

Out of interest please elaborate on why a wide loop is better for stillwater fishing? As far as I can see tighter loops give you a longer distance with less effort. Long casts are an advantage in stillwater fishing and an efficient cast means that you can fish the whole day without becoming tired. I also fail to see why a fast action rod would not be designed to cast tight loops. Maybe there is something which I am not thinking about but maybe you could explain?

[Andre]

The type of Stillwater fishing we do, such as drift boat or tubing, casting with the wind, with three weighted flies, being cast with the wind, requires the angler to use the wind to help carry the line forward. Am open loop on the forward cast assists this, and causes the angler to use less energy. Its a common knowledge fact, that rods designed for long leader, heavily weighted flies, do not cast open loops. Its not about the fast or slow action, its about the rods suitability for the application. Too many anglers focus on the rods ability to cast, and find out after they have bought it, that they don't like it, and don't know why. Its basically because they haven't understood the application that the rod is going to be used for. If you are fishing off a drift boat, with a long leader, with three weighted flies spaced a meter apart...the last thing you want is a tight loop. It has the risk of causing the leader to collapse onto the line as the energy from the cast dissipates, one of the possible results is your boat partner catching your fly in his ear. to prevent this, the angler has to use a faster more forced cast, whereas a rod with a more open loop would enable him to make fewer false casts, more relaxed, and use the wind better, thus conserving his energy.. Applications suitable for this are Vaal style indicator nymphing where a tight loop can have the effect of the leader hinging at the indicator and falling onto the line, Loch style long leader fishing, and North American steel head fishing. Our very own drift boat, with the wind fishing is also ideally suited for open loop casting. Its fallacy that tighter loops are a prerequisite for distance in all cases. there are cases where more distance can be achieved with the angler expending less energy. Yes, if you are bank fishing a dam, or saltwater fishing, then yes I agree, tight loop is best, as is most applications into the wind. but open loop casting is an advantage if you require the wind to assist. Its about understanding the fishing application, and employing the right tool for the job.
My favourite rods are not designed for tight loops, but more for a particular application that works better with a slightly more open loop cast.

Out of interest please elaborate on why a wide loop is better for stillwater fishing? As far as I can see tighter loops give you a longer distance with less effort. Long casts are an advantage in stillwater fishing and an efficient cast means that you can fish the whole day without becoming tired. I also fail to see why a fast action rod would not be designed to cast tight loops. Maybe there is something which I am not thinking about but maybe you could explain?

[smallstreams.co.za]

Where are the days where the angler had some skill to be able to do all this with 1 rod?? I am as much a tackle tart as anyone on here, but man, I'm starting to think we are losing more skill by all these application specific rods, lines and leaders. Flies too I suppose. Sure, they make a difference, but the skill should come first imho.