From St. Croix:
Serious salty flyrodders are always working on their mechanics. From practicing double-hauls and driving big streamers into the wind, to rolling over a crab pattern so it consistently lands with the kind of gentle precision that keeps wary permit at ease, veteran casters constantly seek to fine-tune their performance. But good mechanics aren’t always enough to achieve optimal results; great casters need great gear. With the introduction of St. Croix’s new Imperial Salt series of fly rods, fly anglers can now cast to their potential – and perhaps beyond – at an affordable price.
Available in six versatile 9’ 7- through 12-wt. models, Imperial Salt 4-piece fly rods combine SCIII carbon with IPC® mandrel technology to create lightweight, fast-action rods with the strength to conquer the toughest marine fishing environments and combatants. Seaworthy components and a clean, stealthy look punctuate the series. Slim-profile ferrules, Sea Guide® PVD coated stripper guides with zirconia rings and deep drawn frames, plus Sea Guide® PVD coated snake guides come together to guarantee smooth casting and optimal line shooting. An uplocking machined-aluminum reel seat, premium-grade cork handle and fighting butt (10 to 12-wt. models only) assure angler comfort throughout the battle, while a Sea Guide® PVD coated hook-keeper easily secures the fly at day’s end.
“St. Croix’s new Imperial Salt series really is impressive,” says long-time Florida Keys guide, Capt. Rich Tudor, a St. Croix pro staffer and host of the Saltwater Experience television show. “They are incredibly smooth and powerful for a four-piece rod, and are exceptionally versatile as well. I usually throw one-piece or two-piece fly rods because of the consistent way they load and deliver power and accuracy. I haven’t been able to find a four-piece that could measure up – until now.”
Tudor went right to the top in his testing of the Imperial Salt 10-wt (IS9010.4). “I targeted tarpon with the 10-wt. Imperial Salt and it performed flawlessly,” he says. “This rod had enough backbone to turn an angry tarpon, and its butt section clearly had the lifting power to get the job done.”
Tudor enjoyed sight fishing to bonefish with the 8-wt. Imperial Salt model (IS908.4). “It had the power to propel my casts head-on through a stiff breeze and turn over my fly perfectly every time,” he said. “I was happily surprised at how precise and effortlessly it casted.”
Finished in an attractive and stealthy aquamarine, the new St. Croix Imperial Salt series is designed to blend into any saltwater environment. Non-glare reel seats and stripper guides further enhance these rods’ covert aesthetics, which exude quality from every angle.
“I know what I like when it comes to fly rods, and I know what works out on the water,” sums-up Tudor. “When you bring the technologies and quality components together with the decades of experience St. Croix has in rod building, it makes for an extraordinary product. These rods are going to impress and make a lot of saltwater fly anglers very happy.”
St. Croix Imperial Salt fly rods are designed and handcrafted in Park Falls, U.S.A. Each rod comes with a rugged rod case with handle and divided polypropylene liner. From bonefish, redfish, snook, permit and tarpon in southern waters, to stripers, bluefish, weakfish and false albacore in the north, the new St. Croix 9’ 7- through 12-wt. Imperial Salt fly rods will improve the game of any fly angler. All models carry a 15-year transferable warranty backed by St. Croix Superstar Service. Retail prices range from $340-$380.
Imperial Salt Fly FEATURES:
• Integrated Poly Curve® (IPC®) mandrel technology.
• Premium, high-modulus SCIII carbon.
• Slim-profile ferrules.
• Sea Guide® PVD coated stripper guides with zirconia rings and deep drawn frames.
• Sea Guide® PVD coated snake guides for extra hardness and increased smoothness.
• Uplocking, machined-aluminum reel seat.
• Premium-grade cork handle.
• Sea Guide® PVD coated hook-keeper.
• Two coats of Flex-Coat slow cure finish.
• Rugged rod case with handle and divided polypropylene liner.
• 15-year transferable warranty backed by St. Croix Superstar Service.
• Lightweight, fast action fly rods designed for saltwater.
• Designed and handcrafted in Park Falls, U.S.A.
ICAST 2019
Booth 3023
