I think St Croix got it right early on with making glass rods light.I have an 8 and 9 wtz and they are light for their size.I have a little 6 foot Herters that is wispy little thing but the guides are badly worn and did not know until the line would hang up at times. .I just dont have the heart or skills and would butcher the rod replacing them.It is a pretty little fly rod.I just acquired a 5 foot UL xx something St Croix spinning rod that you could probably fling little fly jigs on.Might take that 9wt bass fishing but i think it is intended as a Great Lakes region salmon rod.I run across a lot of wonderods heddons St croix etc as i live near the bottom of Lake Michigan and these are fairly common.

Hey Russ
Check this thread on the XXl’s from awhile back
Some good info..
viewtopic.php?f=8&t=58063
Our rods would be mid 70s before they went to the glass ferrule in 79

I just picked up the same version Xxl as yours from AngryViking (Thanks Gary!!)





I’m rocking mine with a lil Tica fish master 105 reel


For me it takes anything from a 6wt down to a 4wf.
Experimented with various 4wts gpx/mpx/magnum taper, Northern Sport aqua nova wf4, eagle claw wf4. Cortland 333wf4
But it liked the Cortland 444 modern trout line out long and the Sa Magnum taper in close.

I’m dailing 5wts this weekend..
Russ let me know what 6wt you think is the Goldilocks

Hersh ..
can post up that Herter’s rod ?
I wanna see that lil guy .
All the herters rods I’ve gotten are the montague/tru temper made ones
You need to get one of these lil St Croix’s on fly version .
I wonder how different the spin versions are from the fly blanks ?

I have a lil st croix 7ft graphite rod that has a similar grip and slip rings . It’s somewhere In
The rod dungeon

Russ you ready to start the Croix Boy club?
I’m Looking forward to seeing yours in action
Cheers Scotto