[Sicard]

I have 3 Spey rods 12.6 7 weight redington, 13.0 7 weight echo, anda St. Croix 7/8 weight avid 13 feet.

The St. Croix avid seems like a big slow noodle, I have tried the following lines, 400 scandi, 436 scandi, 485 skagit and 525 short skagit.

The rod will all these lines seems like it's too slow of an action and bends way too deep, well into the cork.

Is it me, the lines, should I slow down my cast or is the rod just a dog?

Thanks in advance,

 

[Matt16]

Haven't cast that rod, but if you load the rod in the sweep portion of the cast and keep it loaded through making the D loop, bring your top hand into the firing position, then tug the bottom hand, my guess is you will find it casts nicely. If you try to load the rod up during the forward stroke, slow rods won't perform.

Deep-flexing rods are sweet.

 

[Sicard]

Thanks Matt, I seems like it is not returning the energy that I put into it. I will keep at it, most likely it's me.....

 

[herkileez]

Must be something you're doing...mine fires crisp casts w/ a 500 gr Skagit.

 

[SLSS]

…..I seems like it is not returning the energy that I put into it. I will keep at it, most likely it's me.....

Sounds like you're trying too hard. When I lose my timing I end up doing that, energy creeping into my upper hand, and then it all goes south.

 

[Sicard]

Thanks guys,

 

[Sicard]

It seems like I had better results with this rod when it was my only spey rod, then I got a couple of faster action rods and this one seemed too slow. I will give it another go with an open and fresh mind.

Thanks

 

[aviomech]

It seems like I had better results with this rod when it was my only spey rod, then I got a couple of faster action rods and this one seemed too slow. I will give it another go with an open and fresh mind.

Thanks

Yes the rod is junk, you need to sell it to me! J/K I had an Avid 15' 10/11wt, and it was like casting in slow motion. Have to slow way down to casts these rods. Unlike the St Croix Ultra Legends, that are really fast action rods!:Eyecrazy:

 

[flytyer]

This rod is very full-flexing, especially when you use a 7/8 or 8 wt spey line, or corresponding Skagit head on it. I think of it as more of a 6/7 or 7 wt rod because with the lighter 6/7 or 7 wt spey lines, although still full-flexing, it has a much crisper recovery.

 

[retreive]

I had that rod my self. It was my first spey rod and a source of great disappointments. Since at the time I was learning, that rod was showing every single mistake I made during cast. I even called St Croix factory and talked to their head guy in sales of spey rods and he told me I had to use a line and a half lighter grainage line to make that rod "sing." (My first choice at the time was Skagit in 500 grains- The guy told me I was ways too heavy!!!) I took his advice and it was better but never what I wanted. I traded it for a Blackberry Playbook in the end.

PS. 420 - 440 grains Skagit !!!!
Scandi 360-380.

Your skill and power can not add or increase anything of this rod. I also thought that it was something to do with me, so frustrating and disappointing.

To be fair St Croix makes some great rods I hear, I just dont know which ones.

 

[aviomech]

I had that rod my self. It was my first spey rod and a source of great disappointments. Since at the time I was learning, that rod was showing every single mistake I made during cast. I even called St Croix factory and talked to their head guy in sales of spey rods and he told me I had to use a line and a half lighter grainage line to make that rod "sing." (My first choice at the time was Skagit in 500 grains- The guy told me I was ways too heavy!!!) I took his advice and it was better but never what I wanted. I traded it for a Blackberry Playbook in the end.

PS. 420 - 440 grains Skagit !!!!
Scandi 360-380.

Your skill and power can not add or increase anything of this rod. I also thought that it was something to do with me, so frustrating and disappointing.
To be fair St Croix makes some great rods I hear, I just dont know which ones.

St Croix makes great rods. They just haven't put much R&D into the spey dept. The Avid rods are great rods, just deep flexing.

This rod is very full-flexing, especially when you use a 7/8 or 8 wt spey line, or corresponding Skagit head on it. I think of it as more of a 6/7 or 7 wt rod because with the lighter 6/7 or 7 wt spey lines, although still full-flexing, it has a much crisper recovery.

Nailed it on the head! The rods are rated like the European rods, more of SH rating. So you just drop 1 line size, and your in there. My Avid 10/11, used lines rated in the 9/10wt(650gr worked the best). So your 7/8 is probably more of a 6/7, and I would guess 450-500gr Skagit. 400-425gr Scandi. Overpowering these rods is counter-productive, let the rod work itself. Once you get it down, they are a joy to cast.

By the sound of it, you are probably more preferential to a faster action, which is good to know for future rod purchases.

 

[ERIK HELM]

The old St Croix Imperials (Which the Avid replaced and copied) were the sleepers of the spey rod world when they came out. I still own both the 13' and the 14' models, and the 13' is one of the sweetist casting rods I have ever cast. I usually cast it with a Hardy 9 wt 55' line which is more or less the euro rating for a U.S. 8 wt spey line. Yes, they are slow, but like other slower or full-flexing rods, that has nothing to do with power. You just need to slow down and let the rod do the work.

 

[fish0n4evr]

The old St Croix Imperials (Which the Avid replaced and copied) were the sleepers of the spey rod world when they came out. I still own both the 13' and the 14' models, and the 13' is one of the sweetist casting rods I have ever cast. I usually cast it with a Hardy 9 wt 55' line which is more or less the euro rating for a U.S. 8 wt spey line. Yes, they are slow, but like other slower or full-flexing rods, that has nothing to do with power. You just need to slow down and let the rod do the work.

Excellent! I have held off on this one not knowing if there was a difference between the Imperial series and the Avid. If the rod feels bogged down or dampened I would downsize in line weight-class.