Fantastic review ! While I've only fished normal fly gear (single handed), this review is great. Most people only tell you how good the rod is, but never get out on the water, or only let you see how they catch a fish with it. Showing everyone that many different casts are possible gives the viewer a better sense or the rod's action and the size of line to match. Good work !
“Two hundred and fifty bucks is a lotta money in the real world.....” THANK YOU!!!!! Finally! Don’t get me wrong: I’m as big a gear geek as the next guy ‘r gal, and beautiful, finely crafted gear is just awesome. Buy I can’t afford it, and in light of a serious chunk of U Tube posts -at least by implication - that’s just sooooo not done..... What a refreshing !!!!! coupla minutes. Put it on par with yr straight up “Don’t buy this” eval of a certain..... uhm..... let’s just say more-than-adequately reimbursed company’s budget spey reel offering. Straight dope. Good stuff !
I have fished with two handed rods since the early fifties. One of the nicest rods I have ever used is the Shakespeare Oracle Scandi 12' 9" 8 wt. It proves the point that a really good rod doesn't always need to be expensive.
I know a few people that bought the oracle scandis as spares for fishing trips and they ended up using it all week as they prefered them to their main hardy,loop, guideline rods. Ive had a try of them and they cast really well with a rio outbound.
So true. I have expensive and modestly priced (not ultra cheap - there's a certain price level below which you can't really expect to drop and not lose performance) rods and the difference is mainly in the quality of fittings, finish and looks. It applies across the board, not just to Spey rods. Redington seem to be particularly good at offering performance rods at a modest price. I have a Classic Trout that I like almost as much as a Hardy that cost four times the price. I often use the Redington when I don't want to risk damaging the expensive rod (having to scramble down rocks where I might fall and drop it, overhanging trees I might hit with it, etc) . It never lets me down and if I broke it, I'd get another..
I got the dually 7116 with a floating Skagit style head 425 grain line and a 10ft 120 grain floating head. Can't wait to perfect my casts. You guys make it look so easy. Thanks for the great videos
Right on! Sounds like a sweet set uSp! Practice as much as possible. Get a firm grasp of the fundamentals. If you want to send me a video I'd be happy to give you a critique. IF you practice as much as possible you will be surprised how handy you can become in short order! Stay after it!
I got myself a 13 foot 7wt Dually off Facebook Marketplace for a whole 80bucks. Only had a 450 grain OPST Commmdo Head and 12 foot 196 grain tips to cast it with, but man it casts like a dream!
Nice to hear some kind words on a rod a lot of people look down on. I have the dually 8136-4 and it’s cousin the chromer 8116-4. Both are awesome rods, and I gotta say I’m a redington guy for sure.
I love your rod review. I have the old 7 weight Dually, and I am still having trouble casting right with it. Now I made my own 11'6" 5 weight switch rod from a blank, and it works fine.
Interesting Hoshi! I'm glad your switch rod is working out. You might have to try to really slow down your forward stroke with the Dually. Sometimes when I'm struggling with a cast I find out I'm punching the forward stroke too abruptly and slowing down a applying the forward stroke smoothly helps me to find the sweet spot! Keep me posted! I think we can figure this out!
Redington is really a good brand. You often find old Sage tech in them, since they owned the brand, before everything was fused into Far Banks. And my old tcx and my old sage one 12,6 is top notch, still use them and enjoy them...I dont have any redington stuff, but have tried some at they have really good stuff.
Right on man also the thing is its obvious at the end of your delivery that it is asking for more !! even longer casts ! In Scotland the Shakespeare Oracle is recognised as a fantastic value rod in all sizes Here many boys buy expensive gear because generally you get better second hand prices if you resell a few years down the line I have to agree with the lad who says if he breaks an inexpensive rod then just buy a new one !! Once again a valuable and honest video PS if you post a video of you catching a fish I will send you the wellies cheers
thanks Allan, I appreciate it man! I keep hearing about that rod! I'm tough on rods, I gave up on having the latest and the greatest a long time ago, except for my Bruce and Walker Powerlite! What a sweetheart. But I handle it with kid gloves, and received it for service award from work, So I decided to splurge. But I still love using all of my inexpensive rods as well.
The right balanced line for the rod , and good timing , if the rod and line are not balanced , no matter how much you pay for the rod casting will be more difficult , you know at the end of a good days fishing , your shoulders will ache , proof balance is important
Great video as always! I got a Redington chromer rod for 200 bucks during holiday shopping. It’s a 13’6 ft 7wt rod with a skagit shooting head I plan on using it in the deschutes but I just wish I had the time to go practice casting.
Wow, thats a smokin' deal Jose! I hope you get a little time to play with it. My first time with a spey rod was fishing! I just remembered that it was a roll cast and it was not difficult to get a fishable cast! After that, I was hooked! Good luck and thanks!
@@LineSpeedJediTimRawlins I’ve fly fished most of my life but never with a Spey rod I am super excited to use it! In the meantime I’ve just been binge watching your videos 😂
I got an Oracle last fall after I broke the tip on my Redington Chromer. Couldn’t wait 12 weeks for the repair. Have been really happy with it. Yeah it’s missing some of the finer details that are nice to have but overall fishes well. The only downside is that there isn’t a warranty and repair process
@@chillipphi For that price, it might be worth getting one as a back up rod to cover the bases. Thanks for the info. Sounds like a great rod for a workin' man!
@@LineSpeedJediTimRawlins they must be good if a newbie like me can throw the line with them ;) I've uploaded a short video on my channel, with me using a very overloaded Shakespeare Oracle Scandi #8. Please watch if you have a chance, maybe you can give me some tips? Cheers
I can see that the B +W action would suit you The catapult tip action is not for everyone but it can send the line a long way I had a B+W Merlin Stream King 16ft size 11 line but when I moved house and the local river was smaller I got rid of it for one made in your country second hand Sage Z Axis 15 ft 10 line and although the action is different I love it The B+W rods have very good second hand prices here so hold on to your Powerlite cheers
A review would be great, I have the swing spey 6126 with a 420 rage and 450 fist also the 8136 with 540 rage and 570 fist. For me it feels more like a Skagit rod that bends deeper but I am sure you with your skill level could cast any style with it.
You mentioned that you have a 400gr skagit head on there, but at the same time the info from Redington recommends 475-525gr skagit heads. From your experience what is the best range of skagit heads for this?
I just ordered the 6wt 12'6" I can't wait to use it! One question though, sometimes I'll get "mid-air collisions" shooting forward. Is it because of poor anchor placement?
Yes its possible but hard for me to say without seeing the cast. Try backing off on the power and concentrate on smoothness, make sure the anchor is exactly where you want it and get more consistent. Don't shock the rod, be smooth. Let me know how you like the 6 weight!
Hello. Do you think the Redington Dually in a 12 ft 6, 7 weight would be long enough for fishing a large river like the Clearwater in Idaho? I'm sort of confused and don't understand if the short head on a Skagit line would result in endless line stripping each time I wanted to recast.
That rod would work fine. A Rio Scandi head would work great for dry line and a longer Sink tip line like Bridge Torrent or Winter Tide will be a longer choice for sink tips and require less stripping. Or Better yet Nextcast Winter Authority 45!
@@Petergoneflyfishing love that stick. I broke the tip on mine but a friend from Canada is sending me one to replace it. Looking forward to using it again!
Hi, I have a 7wt 11.6 dually, looking at opst shooting head but they recommend 350 grain for a 7 wt. Would it be better to go with a lighter Skagit head or go with recommend wt? Thanks. Also i didn't realize I'd already commented on your video, i went with a 10/12 wt echo reel. I was just having issues with the long Skagit head, the one i have is 23 ft long, maybe need more practice im sure, but was looking into smaller more controllable heads.
I would go with the OPST recommendations. I prefer the shorter heads as well, all that mass compressed into a shorter head loads the rod quickly and requires less grains. 350 Commando should be good!
You don't cast whit a brand or expensive rod ! And that rod is awesome for casting and fishing! I have high end rods and I have middle and low budget rods as well. I have test the best to the budget ones. And it's not so big difference to be honest! I would fish that rod any day no matter where I'm would be! 400gr must be good choice as you say ! Good to be able to choose casting style and not look you self to only skagit cast ! Touch and go is a very good choice it splash less and I believe that a quiet approach raise your catch! The swed 🇸🇪 Bjorn
Thanks Tim. I have the original dually in a 6126 and it casts scandi as well as my other equivalent rod at 4 times that price. Do you know what extent of improvements were made for dually 2?
Thanks Stephen, great testimony. I've heard it has something to do with the stability in the tip. Not sure what that means, or if I could even tell the difference. the reel seat is also different but I kinda like the old style, its pretty cool. thanks for sharing buddy!
@@LineSpeedJediTimRawlins yeh I'm finding the rods with a faster action (ie more 'tippy') with a quick recovery seem to perform better with touch and go casts, no doubt because the rod has to quickly recover at the end of the sweep, in time for the forward cast.
@@LineSpeedJediTimRawlins Ok, saw sage X at local shop and wasn’t as excited as I thought I would. Instead Vision XO Graphene and Nam caught my interest. A LOT of local anglers consider new XO one of the better rods out there at the moment. Problem is there’s really no way to test any of them. Anyways, I had an actual question too. With all the rule bending in casting, is skagit line still cast with sustained anchor and whole tip in water? What if I go halfway with light skagit and tapered tip that I ”splash’n’go” with tip partially anchored?
They sure don't waste much time recycling different models. I think the Dually 2 is a good option though, and less expensive, but I sure don't like it either when a favorite is discontinued. Thanks
Yea, that is a little long for some...I love the GLoomis IMX 11' 11" short spey. Too bad its 600 bucks! A little on the steep side for most of us. Redington does make the Dually 2 in a 11' 6" 7 weight. Might be an option, on sale! aventuron.com/products/fly-fishing-fly-rods-redington-dually-ii-two-handed?variant=27983087960166&Google%20Shopping&gclid=Cj0KCQiA6t6ABhDMARIsAONIYyzursp7Z0mqFhbBgDM4MWOTFXmV0HbrfYsYslFJtWBly1AvBp-hfkoaAqNHEALw_wcB
@@LineSpeedJediTimRawlins Have you ever tried a St Croix Imperial Switch rod (11’)? Even though I still love my Jerry French 6wt I was highly impressed by the Switch. Feels a little heavy but it is a cannon (6wt). And at $350 it is a steal.
@@chrisroberts3963 I've heard of the St Croix Imperial rods. Even if they might feel a tad heavy in comparison to the absolute latest and greatest, I do not mind a heavier stick at all if its a cannon and a joy to cast. Once a big steelhead is bending the rod, an ounce or 2 of weight seriously doesn't matter!
Fantastic review ! While I've only fished normal fly gear (single handed), this review is great. Most people only tell you how good the rod is, but never get out on the water, or only let you see how they catch a fish with it. Showing everyone that many different casts are possible gives the viewer a better sense or the rod's action and the size of line to match. Good work !
Thanks very much!!!
“Two hundred and fifty bucks is a lotta money in the real world.....”
THANK YOU!!!!! Finally! Don’t get me wrong: I’m as big a gear geek as the next guy ‘r gal, and beautiful, finely crafted gear is just awesome. Buy I can’t afford it, and in light of a serious chunk of U Tube posts -at least by implication - that’s just sooooo not done.....
What a refreshing !!!!! coupla minutes.
Put it on par with yr straight up “Don’t buy this” eval of a certain..... uhm..... let’s just say more-than-adequately reimbursed company’s budget spey reel offering.
Straight dope. Good stuff !
Thanks Tim, I appreciate that!
13’6” Maxcatch Skytouch Spey rod 8wt great rod $120 :-)
I have fished with two handed rods since the early fifties. One of the nicest rods I have ever used is the Shakespeare Oracle Scandi 12' 9" 8 wt. It proves the point that a really good rod doesn't always need to be expensive.
Exactly! thanks Kevin
I know a few people that bought the oracle scandis as spares for fishing trips and they ended up using it all week as they prefered them to their main hardy,loop, guideline rods.
Ive had a try of them and they cast really well with a rio outbound.
So true. I have expensive and modestly priced (not ultra cheap - there's a certain price level below which you can't really expect to drop and not lose performance) rods and the difference is mainly in the quality of fittings, finish and looks. It applies across the board, not just to Spey rods. Redington seem to be particularly good at offering performance rods at a modest price. I have a Classic Trout that I like almost as much as a Hardy that cost four times the price. I often use the Redington when I don't want to risk damaging the expensive rod (having to scramble down rocks where I might fall and drop it, overhanging trees I might hit with it, etc) . It never lets me down and if I broke it, I'd get another..
Yes, me too exactly. I take lots of falls, on the water and dry land and I like having some rods I can knock around a little. Thanks Laurie!
I got the dually 7116 with a floating Skagit style head 425 grain line and a 10ft 120 grain floating head. Can't wait to perfect my casts. You guys make it look so easy. Thanks for the great videos
Right on! Sounds like a sweet set uSp! Practice as much as possible. Get a firm grasp of the fundamentals. If you want to send me a video I'd be happy to give you a critique. IF you practice as much as possible you will be surprised how handy you can become in short order! Stay after it!
I got myself a 13 foot 7wt Dually off Facebook Marketplace for a whole 80bucks. Only had a 450 grain OPST Commmdo Head and 12 foot 196 grain tips to cast it with, but man it casts like a dream!
Holy cow! You done good! Thanks adrian. Sounds like a smokin' set up. Cheers bro!
Thanks for the video
Nice to hear some kind words on a rod a lot of people look down on. I have the dually 8136-4 and it’s cousin the chromer 8116-4. Both are awesome rods, and I gotta say I’m a redington guy for sure.
Yup! They make good stuff!!! For Sure!!!
I love your rod review.
I have the old 7 weight Dually, and I am still having trouble casting right with it. Now I made my own 11'6" 5 weight switch rod from a blank, and it works fine.
Interesting Hoshi! I'm glad your switch rod is working out. You might have to try to really slow down your forward stroke with the Dually. Sometimes when I'm struggling with a cast I find out I'm punching the forward stroke too abruptly and slowing down a applying the forward stroke smoothly helps me to find the sweet spot! Keep me posted! I think we can figure this out!
@@LineSpeedJediTimRawlins Thank you for your advice. I will try next time.
Redington is really a good brand. You often find old Sage tech in them, since they owned the brand, before everything was fused into Far Banks. And my old tcx and my old sage one 12,6 is top notch, still use them and enjoy them...I dont have any redington stuff, but have tried some at they have really good stuff.
Thanks 🙏 two good brands for sure
I started out spey fishing with a 13.3 ft 8wt Duelly. It's a great rod to start out with.
Absolutely! Thanks for the endorsement Big Ron. Somebody needs that 8 weight!
Throwing Bombs!!! I have the 11’6” 7wt for the GL stuff and it rocks!
Cool. Short rods rock! Thanks David!
One of my fav rods is an ECHO TR 6126, bought it used with a rage compact for 150 bucks lol.
That might very well be the best rod out of the original TR series. Tim hit the nail on the head with that one, Screaming deal for 150. Be happy!
Right on man also the thing is its obvious at the end of your delivery that it is asking for more !! even longer casts ! In Scotland the Shakespeare Oracle is recognised as a fantastic value rod in all sizes Here many boys buy expensive gear because generally you get better second hand prices if you resell a few years down the line I have to agree with the lad who says if he breaks an inexpensive rod then just buy a new one !! Once again a valuable and honest video PS if you post a video of you catching a fish I will send you the wellies cheers
thanks Allan, I appreciate it man! I keep hearing about that rod! I'm tough on rods, I gave up on having the latest and the greatest a long time ago, except for my Bruce and Walker Powerlite! What a sweetheart. But I handle it with kid gloves, and received it for service award from work, So I decided to splurge. But I still love using all of my inexpensive rods as well.
The right balanced line for the rod , and good timing , if the rod and line are not balanced , no matter how much you pay for the rod casting will be more difficult , you know at the end of a good days fishing , your shoulders will ache , proof balance is important
Absolutely 'david, you make a great point. Nothing worse than a miss-matched combo, miserable!
I have my eye on a light Claymore Trout Spey for Sierra lakes. I think it would be super fun and there’s never room for a back cast.
Let us know how you like it. The Claymore sounds interesting! Thanks Ross
Great video as always! I got a Redington chromer rod for 200 bucks during holiday shopping. It’s a 13’6 ft 7wt rod with a skagit shooting head I plan on using it in the deschutes but I just wish I had the time to go practice casting.
Wow, thats a smokin' deal Jose! I hope you get a little time to play with it. My first time with a spey rod was fishing! I just remembered that it was a roll cast and it was not difficult to get a fishable cast! After that, I was hooked! Good luck and thanks!
@@LineSpeedJediTimRawlins I’ve fly fished most of my life but never with a Spey rod I am super excited to use it! In the meantime I’ve just been binge watching your videos 😂
@@joserobles4875 I'm really happy your enjoying the videos. That totally makes me smile!
You Sir need to try Shakespeare Oracle Scandi and Oracle Switch rods that can be find for under $100 and blow the big $$$ rods away
I got an Oracle last fall after I broke the tip on my Redington Chromer. Couldn’t wait 12 weeks for the repair. Have been really happy with it. Yeah it’s missing some of the finer details that are nice to have but overall fishes well. The only downside is that there isn’t a warranty and repair process
@@chillipphi For that price, it might be worth getting one as a back up rod to cover the bases. Thanks for the info. Sounds like a great rod for a workin' man!
Thanks Marcin! That is a helova endorsement. I would love to get my hands on one, I keep hearing good things! Thanks!
@@LineSpeedJediTimRawlins they must be good if a newbie like me can throw the line with them ;)
I've uploaded a short video on my channel, with me using a very overloaded Shakespeare Oracle Scandi #8.
Please watch if you have a chance, maybe you can give me some tips? Cheers
@Robert Pelletier buy it! I have already 4 of them 😂
great one, guenuine as always. keep up!
Thanks for that LK!
Good videos Sir. I bet this setup be a nice rod for a smal/medium salmon river. I got that reel myself its my favorit
No doubt! Thanks for the kind words!
I can see that the B +W action would suit you The catapult tip action is not for everyone but it can send the line a long way I had a B+W Merlin Stream King 16ft size 11 line but when I moved house and the local river was smaller I got rid of it for one made in your country second hand Sage Z Axis 15 ft 10 line and although the action is different I love it The B+W rods have very good second hand prices here so hold on to your Powerlite cheers
Awesome! I had the Sage TCX 15 ft, # 10. Pretty sweet stick with the nextcast Fall Favorite 70! thanks for your input!
I really like my 10’6 4wt Dually. 240 bucks of good fun.
Cool Michael, I'll bet its a sweet Trout Spey. Can't beat a price like that for that kind of quality!
I have the same rod. I even use it nymphing and throwing streamers with the OPST smooth.
Which opst Command head would you recommend for this rod? Really enjoy your videos and simplified explanations
Contact OPST by email to be sure but I’m guessing 375 or 400 might do the trick
I have a echo swing 6126 with a 450g fist and it just pounds out the line. Really impressed by such a inexpensive rod.
I’ve got the 7wt, And definitely agree. Love it.
Good to hear! I wanna do a review on the Echo Swing also, a great buy and Rajeff quality! Thanks Jason
@@stocks365 Thanks stocks, I'm so happy to hear that, Echo Rocks! Definatley looking forward to trying out the Echo Swing!
@@LineSpeedJediTimRawlins id happily lend you mine for a day/video review
A review would be great, I have the swing spey 6126 with a 420 rage and 450 fist also the 8136 with 540 rage and 570 fist. For me it feels more like a Skagit rod that bends deeper but I am sure you with your skill level could cast any style with it.
You mentioned that you have a 400gr skagit head on there, but at the same time the info from Redington recommends 475-525gr skagit heads. From your experience what is the best range of skagit heads for this?
475 - 500
I just ordered the 6wt 12'6" I can't wait to use it! One question though, sometimes I'll get "mid-air collisions" shooting forward. Is it because of poor anchor placement?
I wonder if you are “crossing the railroad tracks”? This is a common cause of collisions on a roll cast.
Yes its possible but hard for me to say without seeing the cast. Try backing off on the power and concentrate on smoothness, make sure the anchor is exactly where you want it and get more consistent. Don't shock the rod, be smooth. Let me know how you like the 6 weight!
@@thatcherbeaty9884 Thanks for the input! Appreciate it!
Hello. Do you think the Redington Dually in a 12 ft 6, 7 weight would be long enough for fishing a large river like the Clearwater in Idaho? I'm sort of confused and don't understand if the short head on a Skagit line would result in endless line stripping each time I wanted to recast.
That rod would work fine. A Rio Scandi head would work great for dry line and a longer Sink tip line like Bridge Torrent or Winter Tide will be a longer choice for sink tips and require less stripping. Or Better yet Nextcast Winter Authority 45!
“Guilty Pleasure Rods”....the ARE 12’ 5/6 Spey Rod Should be in this category too!!!
yea, definitely a sweetheart!
@@LineSpeedJediTimRawlins I got one used for $75. Best $75 I ever spent....it’s a little slower than other rods I have used but not a noodle.
@@Petergoneflyfishing love that stick. I broke the tip on mine but a friend from Canada is sending me one to replace it. Looking forward to using it again!
Hi, I have a 7wt 11.6 dually, looking at opst shooting head but they recommend 350 grain for a 7 wt. Would it be better to go with a lighter Skagit head or go with recommend wt? Thanks. Also i didn't realize I'd already commented on your video, i went with a 10/12 wt echo reel. I was just having issues with the long Skagit head, the one i have is 23 ft long, maybe need more practice im sure, but was looking into smaller more controllable heads.
I would go with the OPST recommendations. I prefer the shorter heads as well, all that mass compressed into a shorter head loads the rod quickly and requires less grains. 350 Commando should be good!
What size reel are you using? I've bought the same rod, but i have a 7/8 wt Redington run reel. Do i need a larger reel?
I don’t think you need a bigger reel if it holds enough running line and backing if it balances the rod
You don't cast whit a brand or expensive rod !
And that rod is awesome for casting and fishing!
I have high end rods and I have middle and low budget rods as well.
I have test the best to the budget ones.
And it's not so big difference to be honest!
I would fish that rod any day no matter where I'm would be!
400gr must be good choice as you say ! Good to be able to choose casting style and not look you self to only skagit cast !
Touch and go is a very good choice it splash less and I believe that a quiet approach raise your catch!
The swed 🇸🇪
Bjorn
Thanks Bjorn, we think a lot alike! I appreciate your thoughts!
What line is this on that reel?? Shooting head or full line?
Shooting head, Opst commando groove, mono running line
👍👍
Thanks Tommy
Thanks Tim. I have the original dually in a 6126 and it casts scandi as well as my other equivalent rod at 4 times that price. Do you know what extent of improvements were made for dually 2?
Thanks Stephen, great testimony. I've heard it has something to do with the stability in the tip. Not sure what that means, or if I could even tell the difference. the reel seat is also different but I kinda like the old style, its pretty cool. thanks for sharing buddy!
@@LineSpeedJediTimRawlins yeh I'm finding the rods with a faster action (ie more 'tippy') with a quick recovery seem to perform better with touch and go casts, no doubt because the rod has to quickly recover at the end of the sweep, in time for the forward cast.
But what if I really really want one
I say go for it!
@@LineSpeedJediTimRawlins Ok, saw sage X at local shop and wasn’t as excited as I thought I would. Instead Vision XO Graphene and Nam caught my interest. A LOT of local anglers consider new XO one of the better rods out there at the moment. Problem is there’s really no way to test any of them.
Anyways, I had an actual question too. With all the rule bending in casting, is skagit line still cast with sustained anchor and whole tip in water? What if I go halfway with light skagit and tapered tip that I ”splash’n’go” with tip partially anchored?
I’m bummed Redington discontinued the Chromer. There are still a few out there on sale online for $299
They sure don't waste much time recycling different models. I think the Dually 2 is a good option though, and less expensive, but I sure don't like it either when a favorite is discontinued. Thanks
The only thing I don’t like about it is the length. Too long at 12 1/2 feet.
Yea, that is a little long for some...I love the GLoomis IMX 11' 11" short spey. Too bad its 600 bucks! A little on the steep side for most of us. Redington does make the Dually 2 in a 11' 6" 7 weight. Might be an option, on sale! aventuron.com/products/fly-fishing-fly-rods-redington-dually-ii-two-handed?variant=27983087960166&Google%20Shopping&gclid=Cj0KCQiA6t6ABhDMARIsAONIYyzursp7Z0mqFhbBgDM4MWOTFXmV0HbrfYsYslFJtWBly1AvBp-hfkoaAqNHEALw_wcB
@@LineSpeedJediTimRawlins Have you ever tried a St Croix Imperial Switch rod (11’)? Even though I still love my Jerry French 6wt I was highly impressed by the Switch. Feels a little heavy but it is a cannon (6wt). And at $350 it is a steal.
@@chrisroberts3963 I've heard of the St Croix Imperial rods. Even if they might feel a tad heavy in comparison to the absolute latest and greatest, I do not mind a heavier stick at all if its a cannon and a joy to cast. Once a big steelhead is bending the rod, an ounce or 2 of weight seriously doesn't matter!