Is the St. Croix imperial line built on their SCll blanks? I have a friend who is looking for a 7'6" 4pc. 4wt, and has tried a bunch of rods and settled on that one. I looked on the St Croix site, and I guess they don't list that line of rods anymore. I've only built on and fished SClll (avid series) and up.
In a related question, how does the Imperial compair to the (old) RX7? I purchased several of that blank when cascade closed.

The Imperial models were the older SCII made here in the U.S. I believe the new SCII are made overseas and are the basis for the company's new line of Triumph and Reign fly rods.

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The chesnut SCII Imperials are no longer being made, They were the same as the entry level blue Pro Graphite blank but with better components and a rod tube. The Pro Graphite rods gave way to the matte blk Premier rods which are still around but the Imperials have been replaced as Tom said by the Reign series which for about the same price comes with the lifetime unconditional warranty where as the old Imperials only had a two year warranty. (back then you had to buy SCIII's for the bettter warranty) Both Reign and Premier are SCII graphite as were the Imperial and Pro graphite before them, You really didn't get away from Croix's entry level product until the AVID series and its introduction of SCIII graphite. The Reign R764.4 7'-6" 4 pc 4 wt w/tube lists for $150. I have the Imperial 7'-6" 2pc 4 wt and tied that fly blank along with a 7'-6" Imp 2pc 6 wt into bone-a-fide spinning rods the lighter of the two, my favotrite UL rod and riot for small mouth. As for the Rainshadow....I would equate that series to be more in line with the SCIII line of St Croix Rods at least the price points are similar if not the above entry level graphite

thanks guys. Since the blank isn't around any more, I'm going to build on the RX7, and see what he thinks. I'm sure he'll love it.

Bob, although I didn't build on that exact Imperial blank that you mentioned, I've built enough of them over the years to say that the SC II blanks of the Imperial line were fairly slow rods by todays design and the RX 7 will be much faster. You might want to have him try a Forecast blank by Batson as that would probably more closely resemble the older Imperials.

Thanks Rob, that helps alot.

Thanks Rob, that helps alot.