rods rods and more rods. so many to choose from these days. ill give you my feelings on the rods ive used or casted. st croix, great rod not as fast as some; i like fast rods, but if you like the slt you might like the legend ultra. the one thing i do not like about this rod, call me vain if you will is the looks. this rod looks like a walmart special. the green and maple insert do not go well together. sage slts are a great rod, they have all the bells and whistles to make it enjoyable for a long time. the fli and launch suck, youd be better off buying a tfo rod. as for the legend elite, buy the ultra before the elite. sure it might be a highermodulus than the ultra but not worth an extra 200. the winston borons are too whippy for me but you might like them if you like a slower rod.
the slt is a very nice rod, i was able to cast out 60ft with a 15 mph wind easily on a 4wt with a haul. not sure how well it lifts line of water since ive never fished one.