While not an overly versatile rod, we found the Legend Elite to be a powerful stick for anglers pursuing big fish in big water. St. Croix’s carbon composites use what they dub Advanced Reinforcing Technology (ART) to provided greater strength while reducing vibration. The resulting rod allows longer casts with better accuracy. The downside is the stiffened rod lacks the sensitivity needed to make soft presentations and to feel delicate strikes.

Casting Distance and Accuracy
The St. Croix threw line farther with less effort than any rod in the test. Those long casts proved accurate but presentation tends to be heavy, even with small dries. We found the Legend Elite especially excelled at swinging streamers but worked well too when drifting heavy nymphs from boats.

General fit, finish, and feel
The emerald green rod blank and maple reel seats offer a clean, attractive package. The deep half-well grips comfortably fit within the hands of each of our larger testers, regardless of size. That smooth fit coupled with the rod’s lightweight design make this a comfortable all-day caster.

Versatility
The Legend Elite trailed the other rods in this “All Around Rod” test, but that’s not to say it’s not a top-notch rod. Though it comes up short as a solid “quiver-of-one” rod, the Legend Elite earned top marks as power caster.

Note:
We tested the 9-foot, 5-weight version, but the Legend Elite is available in 3- through 12-weight in a variety of lengths.