The Bank Robber - a review

[Mato Kuwapi]

I don't ordinarily review a product on this site, however I felt this time it was OK because St. Croix is a sponsor here.

I made a move I haven't made in ten years. I bought a factory built fly rod a couple of weeks ago while I was fishing in Michigan. (I've been building all of mine for the past several years.) I started seriously playing with big streamers about 4 years ago. I had read about the Bank Robber since it's inception and was interested in it. When I played with this rod at the Midwest Fly Fishing Show, I knew I was going to buy it. Oddly enough, St. Croix wasn't represented at that show this year. I think that was probably a big mistake on their part because there seemed to be a lot of interest in this particular rod as well as others with the new 3M nano matrix. I know I was ready to buy a rod that day. This rod was designed by Kelly Galloup and St. Croix, specifically for streamer fishing. It's the first of it's kind.

Kelly had the only Bank Robber rod available on site at the show, so I borrowed it for a little while. I liked it a lot then, but casting it on a crowded indoor casting pool with floating line, isn't the same as casting it for what it was designed for, Big honking streamers and sink tip lines. It casts both like a charm. Up to now, my favorite rod for steamers, was a borrowed Winston. This rod rocks that.

I'm just starting to put this rod through the paces but I have to tell you that I LOVE this stick so far. Amazingly enough, this is now the lightest wt rod in my arsenal. It feels as light as my GLoomis 7.6ft 3wt IMX and it makes my older Legend Elite 5 wt feel heavy. It's because of the new 3M matrix resin nano technology. You can really feel what a huge difference this has brought to fly rods. They are lighter without being brittle and although I haven't given it the Ugly Stick strength test. the rod feels much more responsive and sensitive compared to my older Legend Elite (pre nano matrix).

I went with the 9ft 6wt. After playing with it a while I probably could have gone with the 7 wt with out much added weight, but I'm not sure I need it. So far, I've been casting single and double streamer set ups on a 200gr Galloup Streamer Express sink tip line. Zoo cougars, articulated streamers, Ditch Pigs (7 inches long), plus weighted streamers are just some of the things I've played with...and this rod chucks them all with very little effort. It has a nice responsive flexible tip so I'm not ripping fish lips on the strike or suffering break offs and at the same time the rod has backbone for hauling in lunkers in fast current.
Next test will be with a floating line and some big night fly patterns like hex, mice, gurglers, etc. I'll also be seeing how it preforms with nymphing rigs as well as some dry flies and bass bugs.


IMHO, this is the best casting rod on the market today, so if you've been thinking about it...yes it's worth the plunge.