Did a search and found stuff about fly rods, but for casting rigs, how would you compare St Croix, GLoomis, Rainshadow and Lamiglass?

Seen individual comments on each, but not collective comparsion from those with experience. How do the different grades compare? (ex. Is a St Croix SC5 comparable to a Loomis GLX to a Lamiglass XMG50?) I realize personal preference plays in and then intended application as well on individual blanks. But just overall thoughts on the comparison among brands. Seems to me, you tend to pay for names sometimes (as with everything) and wondering as well if there is a difference.

Just interested in what people have to say.

The Yellowstone Angler has a very long article on fly rod comparisons. Check it out in the "articles" section. Be prepared to read a lot.

I'm more interested in casting rods as I do zero with fly rods. Anything out there on that? I'll give a read though. Maybe something can translate.

in my opinion pretty much pretty much the same, and I would put Rainshodows RX8+ blanks in that catagory also along with CTS Elite blanks



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 08/09/2007 03:59PM by Steve Gardner.

Alex,
Your being to general. In the format you just gave us the blanks are similar. GLX when it first came out in the early 90s
was a great series of blanks. The others have has all this time to catch up and learn some new things on their own. The high end/modulus blanks have their place, but only under certain conditions like all things in fishing. I wouldn't restrain myself to any one brand of blank in any fishing environment casting rods or any other style of rod.

Alex,
I can only give you my own experience regarding blank quality versus cost. Back in 1986 I was at a fly fishing expo in Lansing, Michigan and there happened to be an Orvis booth with several rods strung ready to cast in their inflated casting pool. Now I had always thought that Orvis products were over priced, but I decided to cast one of their rods. It was a 9.5 foot 8 weight. My first cast was pretty terrible because I tried to impose my older casting stroke on the rod. On my subsequent casts I allowed the rod to determine the stroke and I found myslef really liking the feel of that rod. Two weeks later I bought an Orvis blank because I loved the feel of that rod. It is still my go to steelhead and salmon rod. It is also pretty good for Northern Pike as well. About the same time, magazine reviews were hyping the new sage blanks. I bought one of those blanks for fishing bushy rivers in Western Michigan for Brookies. I used that rod on four trips and broke the stripping guide on the last trip. When I went to repair it, I remembered that I really didn't like the feel of that rod. It still resides in my workshop unrepaired. Now I am not touting one of these companies over the other. They both make high quality rods and rod blanks. However, one has a different feel than the other and that determines the rod blanks I will use.

Reading magazine reviews may not give you the information that you need. I won't say that magazines are biased in favor of one over the other, but there is pressure to not offentd the folks who buy advertising. You can find similar behavior by wine critics and restaurant reviewers. There are many blanks made by our sposnors that also deserve serious considerations. Among them are Batson products, Pac Bay products, and blanks from Dan Craft (I haven't tried his yet, but folks on this forum give them glowing reviews). I believe building a rod on a blank and testing it is the best way to evaluate a particular blank.

Mike Blomme

If you have one blank you like you can find others with similar qualities on the CCS Data List. (Fourth link on the List of Sponsors.)
If you want to try many variations nothing beats the selection at the annual Rod Expo in North Carolina in Feb. The blank assortment on hand is staggering and bargain prices prevail. Get there if at all possible.

Dave

I personally recommend the CTS blanks.
I've fished with some of the rods you mentioned and they're good blanks. But, CTS is a step ahead in design which makes for the highest performance blanks I've ever fished.
Todd

There's actually a website which does exactly this, tehre are about 150 blanks on it, I think ever St. Croix, lots of Loomis & Shikari as well. WHen I find it I'll post a link.