Poetry in motion
Written: Dec 05 '02 (Updated Dec 10 '02)
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Unconditional lifetime warranty, good storage case, has a great feel
Cons: Somewhat pricey
The Bottom Line: These are really nice rods, but I would hate to pay full price for them.
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| plilikoi's Full Review: St. Croix Avid Travel Rods |
I have two four-piece St. Croix Avid travel rods, a 865 and an 906, so you can probably tell already that I like them.
I bought them both on eBay, the 865 new for a total cost (that includes shipping, no tax) of $137 and the 906 used, but as good as new, for $121. The RRP for each these rods is $210, which seems like a lot to pay for what's basically just a narrow-diameter graphite tube. You can pay a lot more for a fly rod and you can pay a lot less. These rods lie somewhere in the median price range which, I figure, is where you're mostly likely to find the optimum price/performance ratio.
865 is St. Croix' designation for an 8'6" 5 weight and 906 for a 9'0" 6 weight rod. The length of the rod gives some indication as to how high above your head the chemically-sharpened hook will be flying (I wear a hat and sunglasses, just in case). The longer the rod the easier it is to cast further as well as mend the line (adjust its position) and lead the fish. The weight of the rod indicates the weight of the fly line that it should be matched with for optimum performance. Heavier weight rods, with their associated heavier fly line, can project heavier flies, catch bigger fish faster and can punch into the wind better, but they're also less sensitive.
With these rods you receive St. Croix' unconditional lifetime warranty and the rods are packed inside a nylon-segmented Cordura-covered PVC carrying/storage tube that's about 2'3" long so it's easy to attach to a backpack or take on a plane. The tube retails for $21 if you buy it separately.
But this isn't science, it's fly fishing.
Once assembled the rods become an extension of your arm that is designed to give flight to the fly line. Cast it right and it's poetry in motion. Cast it wrong and ... You get the picture. If you can't cast worth a darn, it doesn't matter how good your rod is.
The rod is very important for fly fishing. During the cast it has to store the energy of the propelled fly line. The rod has an optimum stiffness, both overall and graduated from butt to tip. If it's too stiff it will be insensitive. The Avid series is designated "moderate-fast" action which means it's not the stiffest, i.e., the fastest. For my taste this is perfect. These rods are sufficiently stiff that there's no feeling you're casting spaghetti and they've got adequate backbone for fighting even large trout. On the other hand they're not too stiff. The rod loads well during the cast yet you can still feel even small fish nibbling on the fly, providing you're using a floating line.
The handles are good quality cork shaped in such a way that they fit my hand well. Each rod weighs about 3 1/2 ounces. Light weight is important because you end up casting them so many times during the course of a day's fishing. Casting a heavy fly rod is exhausting. I've paired the rods with Hardy Marquis #6 reels, which makes for a nicely balanced outfit on the rod's up-locking reel seat which tightens the reel to the handle rather than to the butt of the rod. I can't tell you whether an up-locking handle is better than a down-locking. You lose an inch or two of length, but when you lean the butt end of the rod on the ground the reel tends to stay above the ground which helps keep sand, etc. out of the reel.
My wife and I use these rods and we trade off, i.e., she uses whichever one takes her fancy on any given day and I get the other one. We take them into the mountains, either on day hikes or backpacking trips so we specifically wanted the travel rods. My only other point of reference is the Eagle Claw (Wright & McGill Co., made in Korea) 7'6" 5/6 weight Trailmaster III spin/fly combination rod. I've caught fish on fly line using this rod too, but it's not quite so much fun to cast. Since you're going to spend a lot more time casting than catching fish you ought to seek out a rod that becomes a transparent extension of your arm. Be one with the fly.
Finally, St.Croix is a Wisconsin company. In case this is important to you, all St. Croix rods, as far as I know, are made in America. I've nothing against British rods (except perhaps the price).
I marginally prefer the 865 to the 906. I'm 5'7" tall. Generally speaking, the taller and stronger you are the longer the rod you can handle.
Recommended:
Yes
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Epinions.com ID:
plilikoi
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 - Top 1000 |
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Location: San Diego, CA, USA
Reviews written: 76
Trusted by: 6 members
About Me:
Raised in Scotland, living in San Diego. Getting older and wiser daily, older for sure!
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