I had been reading about the new Bank Robber fly rod from St. Croix Rod Company. This rod series was designed by St Croix rod engineers with Kelly Gallup’s advice and help. Kelly Gallup is a famous outfitter, designer of flies such as the Butt Monkey and Zoo Couger and owner of a lodge on the Madison River in Montana. The new Bank Robber rod uses the new 3M ^tm nano particle matrix resin to bind the blank’s graphite fibers together. This new silca particle resin is supposed to offer greater resistance to blank buckling on the compression side of the rod when it is loaded. If you overload a rod, the blank can become damaged at the point of overloading and may break at that point.

Today, I got a call from Steve Johnson owner of Royal Stevens fly shop at Girard Place located one block north of Hampton Ave on Gilpin. The new Bank Robber rods were in. I hopped in the car and headed for Royal Stevens.

The new Bank Robber rods only come in a 6 wt and a 7 wt at this time.

1. The blank is a beautiful steel grey color
2. The stripper guide is Fuji K and the tip top is Fuji MN both lined with Alconite to reduce line friction
3. Snake guides are hard chromed
4. Guide wraps are protected by two coats of slow cure Flex Coat
5. The cork grip is flora-grade cork. This is the highest grade of cork available. The grip on the rod I tested was one of the smoothest I have ever tested
6. The grip on the 6 wt is a modified full wells grip with the top flare slightly smaller than normal but it was comfortable to hold
7. The reel seat is an unusual machined anodized aluminum skeletonized grip with elongated diamond shaped cut outs to hold your streamers or large nymphs
8. The really unusual part is the rod blank extends to the end of the butt cap and can be seen through the reel seat cut outs
9. The reel seat is a double uplocking type and holds the reel securely in place
10. There is a small fighting butt.
11. Manufactured in Park Falls, WI, USA
12. MSRP is $400

Casting Characteristics

There was a severe wind blowing during the casting test today. Since this rod was designed to pound big streamers into the bank under adverse conditions, this wind was going to be a perfect test.

• For the first dozen casts, the rod felt stiff to me. Rather like my Sage Z-Axis did when I first started using it. Then I started to get my stroke adjusted to hit the stops front and back hard enough to form good tight loops.
• Most of the casting had to be done on a horizontal plane about 2 or 3 feet off the ground to escape the wind.
• Working the rod for some ten minutes, I could tell this was a powerhouse of a rod. You could easily cast a full fly line with it. (Steve told me that he had done so on Friday after working with the rod a while) Because of the wind, I did not try this much line but I could throw 60 feet easily without much effort.
• The Bank Robber 6 wt is a reasonably light weight rod for  this line weight.
• Given the wind conditions today, I was quite pleased with the power, lightness and casting feel to the rod.
• If you have been using a 7 wt or an 8 wt rod for your heavy trout or bass fishing, you might want to try the St Croix Bank Robber instead

Tight Lines,

Marshall, Editor
www.fly-fishing-colorado.com
Everything for  your fly fishing needs

Rod Characteristics

1. The new redesigned imperial series is a combination of high modulus/high strain St Croix SC^IV graphite combined with SC^II graphite to reduce weight. The combination works well as the rod weighs in at only 3.9 ounces. This is just slightly more than a  Sage Z-Axis 9 ft 7 wt at 3.88 ounces. Sage MSRP $700. St Croix MSRP $210
2. Blanks are a deep rich burgandy color
3. The snake guides are all hard chromed for durability with two aluminum oxide stripper guides with black frames
4. The rods are listed as fast action and available in lines 2 through 10
5. The cork is premium grade and has a good feel to it. While not the super grade found on high end rods the rod price is not high end either
6. Handle is a single hand full wells with a 1 inch fighting butt extension
7. Double uplocking machined aluminum reel seat on 7 weight models and up. Six weight and below use a rosewood reel insert with the aluminum reel seat.
8. Each Imperial has alignment dots for fast setup of your rod. For a rod in this price range, the dots are very nice touch.
9. Rods come in a rugged nylon covered case with handle and a divider liner to protect the rod.
10. Rods are designed by St Croix expert rod designers and engineers in Park Falls, MN and hand crafted in their Fresnillo, Mexico plant.
11. Covered by the St Croix Limited Lifetime Warranty  St Croix has a unique warranty plan, The standard plan is $20 for repair or replacement due to workmanship defects. Damage due to accident is the Goldstar Plan at $50. Then there is the Upgrade plan where you pay $50 plus the cost difference between your damaged rod and a brand new rod of your choice.
12. Best of all is the price $160 through $210 except for switch rods at $240.

Casting Characteristics

1. The rod felt a bit heavy at first but the fighting butt tends to balance that out.
2. I would use a slightly larger reel than Steve put on the rod.
3. The full wells grip was a nice size to fit my hand and allowed a good thumb on top extended forefinger grip for control.
4. Rod flex under a 30 foot load was only into the top 25% of the rod with lots of reserver power.
5. At 50 feet of line the rod was still turning over the line with ease and had a nice feel to assist in making crisp tight loops.
6. Same was true at 70 feet of line. The rod still felt smooth under load and would shoot to 70 feet easily.
7. The action is listed as fast. But the power taper loading curve on this rod feels more like a progressive curve which loads the rod evenly farther down the blank as the load on the rod increases. Theoretically, all rods should do this but some are designed to do it better than others. And not all of the high end rods do it well either.

For a rod in the $160 to just over $200 price range, the new redesigned St Croix Imperial is a winner.

This would be a good rod for most heavy trout, bass fishing, throwing heavy nymph rigs, bushy flies or into a wind.

Tight Lines,

Marshall, Editor
www.fly-fishing-colorado.com
Everything you need for fly fishing
www.110flyfishingtips.com
Tips for the Beginner and Intermediate
to catch more fish sooner

The Hydros I tested was a 9 ft 6 wt 4pc  9.5 tip flex fast action rod. This particular rod had a nice crisp feel during casting. I found it easy to make good tight back cast loops and forward loops. During grass casting I put out 65 foot casts easily even with the wind blowing across my casting path. I have no doubt that it could cast 70 plus feet if necessary.

A normal 30 to 40 foot cast was easy with accurate on target line tracking. At 20 feet, the rod performed equally well as long as I didn’t overpower the cast.

COMPARISON OF FLY ROD WEIGHTS (All Rods are 9ft 5wt 4pc)

1. The  Orvis Hydros Freshwater rod comes in lengths 8′ 4", 8′ 6" and 9 feet
2. Available in actions 6.5, 7.5, 8.0 mid flex and 9.5 tip flex 
3. Line weights 3, 4, 5 and 6 
4. Manufactured using Orvis patent pending thermoplastic and thermoset resins in the attractive blue rod blanks.
5. Precision Power Taper™
6. Uses light weight chromed snake guides and tip top 
7. Use of carbon fiber reel inserts to reduce weight
8. Polished aluminum picture window reel seat
9. Super Grade Cork handle  
10. Uplocking reel seat
11. Cordura rod tube with protective internal dividers
12. Made in Manchester, Vermont
13. Available in Saltwater models too
14. 25 year unconditional warranty
15. MSRP $495

These rods offer a variety of lengths and line weights to suit most freshwater fishing situations. Combined with a nice range of mid flex actions to suit the average caster, these actions will work well for nymphing and most dry fly fishing. The tip flex actions offer the fast response needed to fire off a dry fly cast to a rising fish or a crusing tarpon. But it also offers the sensitivity to use the tip flex rod for nymph fishing. The tip flex 9 ft 6 wt 4 pc Hydors I grass cast is a true powerhouse just like its big brother the Helios. Even though the Hydros is slightly heavier than the Helios, I did not notice the weight very much during casting. The Hydros has a nice balanced feel in the hand and during casting. The Hydros uses the same graphite and scrim systems as the Helios which produce a powerful and light fly rod.

The polished aluminum reel seat offers corrosion resistance even though not as attractive as the nickel silver on the Helios. The up locking reel seat is the standard on modern fly rods. All of these features add up to a very light rod with a good feel in the hand for both short, medium and long casts.

Summary:

1. The Orvis Hydros is one of the highest quality fly rods on the market.
2. It is also one of the lightest one I have found in my comparisons so far.
3. The hard chrome guides are of a high quality. They will offer years of excellent service and resist damage.
4. The anodized skelatized reel seat reduces weight over the traditional wood reel insert and reel seat systems while retaining a visual appeal
5. Comes in Salt Water Models too 
6. 25 year unconditional warranty

 More information on the … Orvis Hydros fly rod

The Orvis Helios Fly Rod is advertised as the lightest fly rod on earth. So far in my comparisons, that is true. See the Comparison Table below. This fast action fly rod will sling 75 feet of line with no problem. But you must adjust your casting style to fit the fast tip action. The rod I tested was a 9.5 tip flex action. Under a normal 30 foot line load only the first 10 to 15 inches would normally bend. To bend farther down the rod, you needed to use more power in the stroke which can cause a tailing loop on the forward cast if you didn’t lengthen your casting arc. Or use more line off the rod tip.

COMPARISON OF FLY ROD WEIGHTS (All Rods are 9ft 5wt 4pc)

1. The Helios Freshwater rod comes in lengths 7.0, 7′ 6", 8, 8′ 4", 8′ 6", 9 and 10 feet.
2. Available in actions 6.5, 7.5, 8.0 mid flex, 9.5 tip and tip flex 
3. Manufactured using Orvis patent pending thermoplastic and thermoset resins in the olive green rod blanks
4. REC Recoil snake guides. Bend them flat and they will spring back into shape
5. Titanium frame stripping guide with NanoLite® ceramic insert
6. Use of carbon fiber reel inserts to reduce weight
7. Nickel silver picture window reel seat
8. High Quality Cork grip
9. Rod Alignment Dots
10. Uplocking reel seat
11. Available in Salt Water Models too 
12. 25 year unconditional warranty
13. MSRP $775 for most models

 These fly rods offer a variety of lengths to suit most freshwater casting situations. Combined with a nice range of mid flex and tip flex actions to suit the average or advanced caster, these actions will work well for nymphing and most dry fly fishing. The tip flex actions offer the fast response needed to fire off a dry fly cast to a rising fish. But it also offers the ability to use the tip flex rod for nymph fishing. Especially with heavy weighted nymphs. The tip flex 9 ft 5 wt 4 pc Helios I tested over two months is a true powerhouse with the ability to offer a soft touch on short casts of 20 feet and the power to deliver those 70 foot long casts where needed.

Orvis has been using their new thermoplastic and thermoset resin system in the Helios right from the beginning of the rod series. The REC titanium hardware is some of the finest and lightest on the market which is part of the high MSRP on this rod. The Nickel Silver reel seat offers corrosion resistance and adds to the beauty of this rod. The uplocking reel seat is the standard on modern fly rods. All of these features add up to a very light rod with a good feel in the hand for both short, medium and long casts.

Summary:

1. The Orvis Helios offers one of the highest quality fly rods on the market.
2. It is also the lightest one I have found in my comparisons so far.
3. The REC Recoil guides are the highest quality around. They will last a long time and resist damage.
4. The carbon fiber reel seat reduces weight over the traditional wood reel inserts and yet retains a visual appeal
5. Alignment dots make assembling your rod a snap
6. 25 year unconditional warranty

 Order your Orvis Helios Rod … Step up to true quality

Imagine for a moment a fly rod that casts like a high priced rod, is light weight, has a nice line feel, is beautiful to look at and won’t break your wallet to purchase. Such is the Orvis Clearwater II fly rod 9 ft 5wt mid-flex 7.5 I have been using since 2007. The Clearwater II Series has been redesigned from the old Clearwater I series of 2007. Because I liked my current Clearwater rod so much, I wanted to try a Clearwater II 9 ft 6wt 9.5 tip flex rod to compare to the Orvis Helios 9 ft 5wt and the Orvis Hydros 9 ft 6wt I had previously grass cast.

Pros

1. The rod is well constructed with oversized guides which I like. The blank is a beautiful blue color.
2. Guide feet are securely wrapped and covered with well applied rod epoxy.
3. The grip is a half wells with cutout for the top reel foot.
4. Reel Seat is an uplocking style with double locking rings. For an uplocking reel seat, I like the double rings because you don’t have to overtighten the locking rings to secure the reel.
5. The reel seat insert is woven graphite to reduce weight and the same blue color as the blank. The reel seat hardware is high quality anodized aluminum.
6. The cork grip is premium grade but this particular rod had a few more pits than I would have preferred.
7. The half wells grip is one of my favorites. I can use the smaller cigar part of the grip for most fishing which is less tiring for me. Then move farther back to the butt of the grip for long casts.
8. The guides are the standard hard chrome snake guides with an oversized stripper guide lined with an insert to reduce line wear.
9. The rod comes with a handsome cordura covered hard case with zipper closure and an internal divided sock.
10. The Clearwater II Series ranges from 7 ft to 10 ft in length, line weights 3 through 9, flex ranges from 6.0 through 9.5 tip flex and come in both 4 and 2 piece models. Two piece models are limited to certain models. 
11. Priced between $169 and $219, the Clearwater II is a bargain at these prices.
12. The Clearwater II series is covered by the 25 year Orvis 100% satisfaction guarantee.

Fishing Characteristics

Not Applicable

Casting Characteristics

I only grass cast this rod for comparison to the Helios and Hydos rods. This 9.5 tip flex action was smooth and crisp with plenty of power to throw 60 foot plus casts. Rod was quick loading with the rebound to a neutral position on the backcast and forward cast being quick and smooth. I did notice the Clearwater II tip flex is not quite as fast or powerful as the Helios or Hydros. But for a rod priced about $200, it was plenty fast and powerful.

Ask Yourself:

• Do I need a $700 dollar fly rod to make me a better fly caster?
• Will a $700 dollar fly rod help me catch more fish?
• What is a reasonable price for a quality fly rod?
• Will a $200 fly rod meet most of my fly fishing needs?

If the last answer is Yes — More Information – Orvis Clearwater II 9 ft 6 wt 4 pc

Tight Lines,

Marshall, Editor
www.fly-fishing-colorado.com
Everything You Need for Fly Fishing
www.110flyfishingtips.com
Fly Fishing for the beginner and Intermediate

July 7th — I received the bright water rod this morning. Its a great looking & feeling rod. I ca’t wait to use it this weekend.

Here are some of the results from L.J’s favorite small stream near Artesia.

The new brightwater 4 wt. rod performed really well.  I didn’t catch any giants, but none-the-less a lot of solid fish!  Here are a few pictures. 

Lee’s Comments after his 7/24/10 fishing trip. "The rod really handles very nicely.  It lays the line out very well on these subtle casts." 

The Brightwater series is on sale as long as we have inventory. I only have one 764 left and 2-954 rods left. Two each 4wt and 5 wt reels left.

Fish Creek is a T.L. Johnson company owned by Terry L. Johnson.

Tight Lines and Good Fishing,
Marshall, Editor
www.fly-fishing-colorado.com
Everything you need for fly fishing
www.110flyfishingtips.com
www.troutadventures.com
Alaska Trout Fishing Information

This little 4wt has plenty of power to throw a heavy weighted 3 nymph rig. (At least two size 10 weighted flies and one non weighted fly plus a line weight if needed). Roll casts out to 25 to 30 feet are achievable. The same is true on river tension casts. I have gotten closer to 40 feet with some practice on a heavy nymph rig. Generally I fish unweighted nymphs with weight on the line but have been trying the weighted close line nymphing again this year.

The rod blanks are a visually appealing plum color and are constructed of proven IM6 technology.The action is a crisp medium-fast. As with all of T.L. Johnson’s rods I have cast, Terry builds in plenty of back bone into the rods. On grass cast tests, I got 62 feet consistently with this 4wt rod. With some practice, I think I could get 70 ft with it. The rod load started with about 20 feet of line out instead of the usual 30 feet most rods need. This quick loading is again a characteristic of T.L. Johnson designed rods.

The stripper guide is a 316 stainless hialoy ring with 7-316 stainless single foot guides plus the tip top. The brown rod windings are tight and the winding epoxy is cleanly applied with no footballing. The uplocking reel seat is aluminum with Cocobolo insert. The reel slide ring is generous enough to comfortably hold most reels. The single locking ring easily locks your reel securely in place. The cork grip is high quality cork in a western style with a cutout for the top reel foot. This is a rod that will offer years of service. The complete outfit is one of our best selling back packing outfits

Fish Creek Rods are guaranteed for the life of the original owner with a $40 return and handling fee. They come in an attractive green cordura rod tube with padded top. Rod and tube ship in a sealed plastic bag to keep your rod tube clean until you receive it.

Best of all, MSRP is only $149.00. Fish Creek Rods and Reels are on Sale until gone at 10% off. Order a fly rod and reel fly fishing outfit and receive a free premium fly line with 50 yards of 20# dacron backing and a free premium leader. (Only 2 – 9 ft 5wt 4pc rods left)

Shipping: Via USPS Domestic or International Priority Mail and Insured on all orders over $75. Signature confirmation on Domestic Orders.  Usually ships within 3 business days.  (FREE DOMESTIC SHIPPING )

Remember this sale is only good thru 5/31/2010 

The Fish Creek Rod, Reel and Outfit on Sale is also available in a 9ft 5wt 4 pc rod with a 5wt reel and free premium line if you order the outfit.

DOMESTIC ORDERS ONLY - Free Shipping Fish Creek brightwater fly rods + Fish Creek Reels + Complete Outfits – - Outfits free line, backing and leader 7ft 6in 4wt 4pc – 764-4 $134.00 8ft 6in 5wt 4pc – 8654-4 $134.00 9ft 5wt 4pc – 905-4 $134.00 9ft 6wt 4pc – 906-4 $134.00 9ft 8wt 4pc – 908-4 $152.00 Fish Creek 3400 3/4 Reel $161.00 Fish Creek 5600 5/6 Reel $170.00 7ft 6in 764-4 complete outfit $295.00 9ft 5wt 905-4 Complete Outfit $304.00

INTERNATIONAL ORDERS ONLY – $45 Shipping and Handling added to order at checkout.  Fish Creek brightwater fly rods + Fish Creek Reels + Complete Outfits – Outfits free line, backing and leader 7ft 6in 4wt 4pc – 764-4 $134.00 8ft 6in 5wt 4pc – 8654-4 $134.00 9ft 5wt 4pc – 905-4 $134.00 9ft 6wt 4pc – 906-4 $134.00 9ft 8wt 4pc – 908-4 $152.00 Fish Creek 3400 3/4 Reel $161.00 Fish Creek 5600 5/6 Reel $170.00 7ft 6in 764-4 complete outfit $295.00 9ft 5wt 905-4 Complete Outfit $304.00

Tight Lines and Good Fishing,
Marshall, Editor
www.fly-fishing-colorado.com
Everything you need for fly fishing
www.110flyfishingtips.com
www.troutadventures.com
Alaska Trout Fishing Information

I was using 0X to 2X then the point fly, 4X to the middle fly and 6X to tail fly. This light weight rod would put out great roll or river casts up to 15 to 20 feet with out strain. When the wind was not blowing, I could get a nice overhand the same distance or slightly longer. Admittedly, this rod is not designed to throw weighted nymph rigs but it is nice to know you could do so if necessary. The rod is primarily designed as a small stream dry fly and light weight nymph rod. Used with a three weight line, I believe it would serve excellently in that capacity. As always, Terry Johnson builds extra power into his rod designs.

On grass casting tests with a 4wt line on the rod, I could easily get 40 to 45 foot casts with this fine little rod. The load feeling was excellent on the back and forward strokes allowing shooting casts with ease. The accuracy was excellent at 40 feet dropping cast after cast within 12 inches or less of my target.

The rod blank is the same gloss green as the other series tested. The 9ft 4wt and the 8ft 4wt. The blank is a 57 modulus to produce extra power when needed. The guides are Fish Creeks own 316 stainless. On the test models, there are two lined stripper guides but the production models will have only one.

The reel seat is polished aluminum with a maple insert. The production models will have a duller titanium finish rather than the highly polished finish on the test models. The top reel seat guide securely holds the reel. The bottom sliding reel seat ring is generous enough to fit most reels.  The uplocking single ring holds the reel securely in place without too much pressure.

Best of all the Velocity Rods are designed to be priced slightly under $300. So you can own a fine rod without breaking your budget.

Tight Lines and Good Fishing,
Marshall, Editor
www.fly-fishing-colorado.com
Everything you need for fly fishing
www.110flyfishingtips.com
www.troutadventures.com
Alaska Trout Fishing Information

The Fish Creek Velocity 8ft 4wt 4pc fly rod was grass cast before being tested on stream. I rigged the rod with a 3/4 wt Fish Creek reel and a 4wt line with a 1X leader on it. I use a 7.5 ft – 1X leader for grass casting and practice.

During casing practice I used some sprinkler flags as targets. The rod loaded ok during the backcast but I had some trouble feeling that loading. There seemed to be a small wobble about halfway thru the back stroke. That may have been me having a not so good casting day. I kept at it and this feeling went away after a while.

On the forward stroke, the loading feel was solid and shooting line was no problem. Double hauling was easy with this rod. Casts at 20 feet were accurate and at 40 feet were solid and on target even with the wind which had come up.

The Velocity series are solidly built rods with a green blank and a gloss finish. The reel seat is polished aluminum that will be a duller titanium finish on production models. The insert is a lighter maple wood insert. The sliding ring on the seat is generous enough to fit most reels yet hold them securely. The uplocking single ring works smoothly on the seat to lock your reel in place.

There are two oxide lined stripper guides on this Velocity rod with 8 hard chromed snake guides including the tip top. That makes a total of 9 guides not including the bottom most stripper guide. One guide more than the number of feet is an older guide to judging rod quality. The Fish Creek Velocity series is going to be a mid-priced rod at slightly under $300.

On stream on Bear Creek 4/19/10 Monday, this rod performed quite well throwing a 2 heavy weighted nymph rig with a drift indicator. It also worked well with a bb weight on the leader with roll casts at 15 and 20 feet when needed. Overhand casts with a bit of weight on the line seemed to make the rod load better on the back cast than without any flies or weight. Overall this is a solid rod that can offer years of fly fishing service.

Tight Lines and Good Fishing,
Marshall, Editor
www.fly-fishing-colorado.com
Everything you need for fly fishing
www.110flyfishingtips.com
www.troutadventures.com
Alaska Trout Fishing Information

Conditions on the St. Vrain Creek in Lyons, CO today were miserable. Sustained winds around 25 – 30 mph with gusts between 40 and 50 mph. Enough to knock over 50 gallon trash barrels and roll them around. Cold too.

So how did the Fish Creek Velocity 9ft 4wt 4pc fly rod designed by Terry L. Johnson work under these conditions? Much better than I expected.

I had rigged up a 2 fly nymph rig with a heavy weighted scud on the bottom to get down to the bottom of the pools I was fishing. Casting characteristics of the Velocity under the conditions were excellent. The rod performed both roll casts and river casts with accuracy and power left over. While it would not punch a cast directly into the gusts, not many 4wt rods would do so either. Accuracy was good enough that I delivered 6 15 foot consecutive casts into a 10 inch water pocket between a rock and a pile of sticks to get a drift along a seam where I eventually hooked a nice brown.

The line feel during casting was good. I could tell when the rod was loading even in the wind. Yet the Velocity had a delicate touch to let me feel when I was bouncing the nymphs along the bottom. Or when a fish took the rig.

The Fish Creek Velocity 9ft 4wt is finished with two lined stripper guides and high quality hard chromed snake guides and tip top. There are 10 total guides not counting the bottom most stripper guide. The rod blank is a nice gloss green finish. The Cork grip is high quality.

The reel seat is an uplocking single ring polished aluminum. The production models will be a duller titanium finish on the seat. The reel seat slide ring is generous enough to fit most reels yet holds my fish creek 3/4 wt reel securely. The single locking ring does not have to be screwed down hard to lock the reel in place which is a plus when taking the reel off the rod. The insert is a light maple.

The Velocity series will be mid-priced at slightly under $300 at the time of publication. But that pricing may change a bit when the rods reach production stage.

In the author’s opinion, the Velocity Series Fly Rods from Fish Creek a T.L. Johnson Company are an excellent rod for the price.

Tight Lines and Good Fishing,
Marshall, Editor
www.fly-fishing-colorado.com
The Stores at Fly Fishing Colorado
www.110flyfishingtips.com
www.troutadventures.com
Alaska Trout Fishing Information