Can anyone tell me how the St Croix Ledgend Ultra blank stacks up against Dan Craft's FT? I know the price difference is considerable but what about fastness, smoothness, softness of tip,etc. I'm trying to decide if it's worth the extra money.

Hi Carl.

Good question and I am interested in what others have to say on this one. I have built and fished with a St Croix Ultra Legend in a 9', 5wt, 2 pc and a Dan Craft Signature V (Five Rivers) 8'9", 4wt, 3 pc, not the FT series. I would say the 2 rods I have built are very comparable in terms of fast action and they are both excellent rods. I prefer the Dan Craft rod because it seems lighter and has a little better feel in terms of casting and playing a fish. It seems to fit my casting motion a little better and does not "feel" as stiff, although I am comparing a 4wt to a 5 wt here. I like both these rods and continue to use them, but I like the Dan Craft a slight bit better. I don't think you would go wrong with either rod.

My opinion only here.

Bob Widmaier

My feeling is similar but exactly in reverse. I think they're both great but would give the nod to the St. Croix SCIV. Not only that but I've found the St. Croix to be pretty tough and durable considering that it's a top level performance blank. I honestly don't know of a better all around value for the buck than the SCIV.

Carl,
There are some pretty dramatic differences in the FT blanks depending on your line weight. The CC Data site top left of this page has a lot of info on them in the blanks section. Also doing a search of the archives will give you lots of info on these new series blanks.

Henry,

I'm glad to see people giving their opinions on these blanks! I am curious though, do you own one of my FT blanks or are you just judjing them by the CCS data?
I would say that our FT blanks are at least as durable as any other graphite blank on the market, higher modulus than other blanks mentioned, and the price is unbeatable for such a high modulus 4pc blank.

Dan Craft