You know when you get one of those a-ha experiences.. The time when your head suddenly has a bright moment and file all information you gather into the same file, not just because their related but same case - just different names.. Well I'll get to the point:

1) My first build was a burgundy no name blank I got for christmas a few years back. I later found out that this was supposed to be the same as the factory mounted rod I gave my gf the year before, after I'd read an articel with the headline translated to "Heavily tested in Michigan". A 9' 7/8 weight rod produced for a distributor in Denmark. With the american flag printed in the signature. This was my gf's first rod and she caught her first salmon on it. She loved it and I broke it later.
-No problem, I pair it with a piece from my rod. It was a good thought but they didn't match. Her rod was slimmer than mine. Strange at first, but I found out in the store that what she had was a newer version. Thinner and therefore lighter version.

My first introduction to St. Croix was when I searched mudhole.com for blanks. Not a familiar name to me (Apologize to all of you americans, not on my home turf) Which is Scandinavia, but as my hobby developed I had go abroad to search for supplies due to a narrow market here. After I joined this forum recently the St.Croix name popped up more frequently and I read a post about a burgundy rod which gave my attention. Could it be? Well as I’m searching bits starts to fall to place. I remember the old Michigan article and after a google search on Michigan, St. Croix pops up as well

-A-ha!

My gut feeling is that my blanks are St.Croix’ but I’m not certain yet, but I’m still gathering info on this matter.


2) I love Guideline DH rods and I own a few of them. I’ve tested their flagship but found it to expensive: The Reaction FRS. (New clue for you americans right there) A couple weeks ago I suddenly came across these again for 50% off. Time to make a deal. Well, I’m still only about too.. I prefer to build it but Guideline offers no blanks.
And now after research in case 1) I came across the abbreviation FRS at St.Croix homepage.

-A-ha! wait a minute here…

I go back to Guideline’s homepage….

-A-HA!!

»In close cooperation with one of the most experienced, well equipped and modern rod factories in the USA, the FRS rods take advantage of some of the most advanced technologies available in fly rod manufacturing»

-That’s St.Croix! Now maybe I can get blanks equal to the Reaction rod instead?!

A mystery solved! They do make very fine blanks.

I have a St. Croix SCII-SCIV 5 wt. fly rod I built and it's my favorite. It fishes nymphs and throws dry flies with equal ability. I just love them. Just my two cents.

I'm definitely gonna stick to them. I've got several sets of the burgundy left. Built one for my cousin before this season. He really liked it. My dad built one of his own, it has turned out to be his favorite rod. I had a plan to build a stealth rod this winter. Blank, grip, reelseat, guides, wraps in all black. And when I entered the St.Croix homepage, what did I see? The Legend X! Wow what a beauty. I'm stunned.

If anyone with good knowledge to St.Croix can tell me what models these burgundy gloss blanks that came available here in 2012 could be, would be highly appreciated. 9'-4 pieces. Got them in weight 6-9, but I think they were lower too. They are not coated on the ferrules, wonder if they should be like this or if they are seconds?

If you also could check out this site below and give an opinion if you belive I can fin these rods in close to similar blanks at St.Croix.
[www.guideline.no]

Thanks in advance!

Do not know of any St Croix blank that comes with a bronze grey metallic finish. But that does not mean much since the distributors can have it finished in the color they like. Might also want to look at Rodgeeks fly rod blanks, these are made in collaboration with St Croix and you can select the color you like. They are very nice blanks. The gloss Burgundy blanks you mentioned are most likely the SC IV / SCII series. Below is St Croix 2016 RodBuilder Catalog, which list all of thier blanks.

[stcroixrods.com]

Norm