St. Croix Tannic Series Warmwater Rods -- Press Release 17 June 2025

 

St. Croix Fly Introduces Premium Warmwater Rods New for 2026, TANNIC Series rods deliver radical performance, optimized for bass and Esox presentations     PARK FALLS, WIS. (June 16, 2025) – Today’s rod actions are increasingly sophisticated. Variations in materials, technologies, tapers, and layups create very different fly rods within the same primary parameters of length, line weight, and action. This modern truth that all rods are not created equal is a great thing, because advanced fly casters need distinct rods that perform in varied scenarios.   Driven by a relentless commitment to provide every angler the upper hand, our rod-design process at St. Croix Fly starts with understanding the angling equation. Variables like species, habitats, flies, lines, and presentations translate directly to a rod’s desired flex, feel, and functionality in an intended pursuit. We obsess over the minutia of rod action with conviction - designing the most efficient casting and fishing tapers possible.   Our technologies, R&D resources, and experience fuel solutions, which are next-level blank materials, layups, and componentry – new rods developed solely on behalf of anglers who demand peak performance, effectiveness, and durability in diverse fishing scenarios.   New for 2026, species-specific TANNIC Series rods are the latest example of our commitment to designing and crafting premium fly rods that elevate performance in targeted pursuits. TANNIC BASS and TANNIC MUSKY/PIKE series rods leverage every bit of knowledge and technology we’ve garnered over the past 77 years to give warmwater-predator anglers the upper hand.       Fly fishing for bass within the diverse habitats they hunt requires specialized rods. Technique-specific fast-action tapers that master aggressive lines, feature stiff tips for highly animated presentations, and can lift and carry large amounts of line are a must. Uncompromising durability, balanced swing weights, and angler-friendly ergonomics are also required.   The new TANNIC BASS series delivers all these essentials, along with line speed, tip recovery, and line control like bass bums have never experienced - all courtesy of an advanced carbon materials matrix enhanced by MITO Graphene. Combining bass-centric lengths and rod sizes with the progressive ergonomics necessary to fish hard and long in any bass pursuit – from feeding Boogle Bugs and crayfish patterns to river smallmouth or knocking cabbage tops and pads with giant deerhair frogs, to targeting stripers anywhere they swim or harassing jungle peacocks – TANNIC BASS wraps clean, tech-forward aesthetics around sizzling, bass-specific St. Croix performance.   TANNIC BASS FEATURES   Titanium tangle-free stripper guides Chrome snake guides Full wells slim-profile super-grade cork handle with composite cork accents Super-grade cork fighting butt with composite cork accents Custom uplocking, machined aluminum reel seat Aluminum rod tube with rod sock 15-year warranty Designed and precision-crafted in Park Falls, Wisconsin, USA   TANNIC BASS TECHNOLOGY GROUP Warmwater bass-optimized tapers, precision crafted from an advanced matrix of high-modulus high-strain SCIV and SCIII carbons, plus premium-quality mid-modulus SCII carbon MITO Graphene unlocks the power of hybrid polymer materials and delivers radical hoop strength, optimized loop stability, and absolute accuracy Integrated Poly Curve (IPC) mandrel tooling provides improved energy transfer, increased strength, and mega-efficient rod recovery Advanced Reinforcing Technology (ART) adds a magnitude of 10X strength with virtually no increase in blank diameter or weight Fortified Resin System (FRS) boosts blank strength by 33% over standard resins and curing methods Reinforced Slim Profile Ferrule (SPF) design adds herculean strength with minimal added weight   TANNIC BASS MODELS   TCB690-4 / 6-weight, 9’, 4-piece, fast action / MSRP: $695 TCB790-4 / 7-weight, 9’, 4-piece, fast action / MSRP: $695 TCB810-4 / 8-weight, 8’10”, 4-piece, fast action / MSRP: $695 TCB990-4 / 9-weight, 9’, 4-piece, fast action / MSRP: $695     Musky anglers grind out long hours on the water hucking huge flies while hoping to elicit equally huge eats. One of the ultimate freshwater fly games deserves rods purpose-engineered and built to support elevated performance with minimal fatigue throughout the hunt.   TANNIC MUSKY/PIKE answers the call with powerful, dialed-in tapers that excel in carrying heavy sinking lines that can deliver massive morsels, plus hefty tips for maximum fly animation and strip-setting power. But that’s just the start. Advanced St. Croix materials and technologies combined with MITO Graphene up the ante with extreme strength and durability while maintaining light-in-the-hand feel and dream-state swing weights.     TANNIC MUSKY/PIKE doubles down on meaningful musky-focused performance with additional details like ceramic-insert titanium and stainless-guides for increased wear resistance against tungsten coated lines, plus custom Cactus Cork handle designs that maximize angler comfort and control while casting, strip-setting, and executing deep and effective figure-eights and other finishing moves.   TANNIC MUSKY/PIKE FEATURES   Black stainless-steel Nanolite single-foot running guides and tip top Black titanium tangle-free stripper guides Custom 12” extended full wells Cactus Cork handle with 4” fighting butt and composite cork accents on #11 and #12 models Custom full wells Cactus Cork handle with 3” fighting butt and composite cork accents on #10 model Custom uplocking, machined aluminum reel seat Aluminum rod tube with rod sock 15-year warranty Designed and precision-crafted in Park Falls, Wisconsin, USA   TANNIC MUSKY/PIKE TECHNOLOGY GROUP Warmwater Esox-optimized tapers, precision crafted from an advanced matrix of high-modulus high-strain SCIV and SCIII carbons, plus premium-quality mid-modulus SCII carbon MITO Graphene unlocks the power of hybrid polymer materials and delivers radical hoop strength, optimized loop stability, and absolute accuracy Integrated Poly Curve (IPC) mandrel tooling provides improved energy transfer, increased strength, and mega-efficient rod recovery Advanced Reinforcing Technology (ART) adds a magnitude of 10X strength with virtually no increase in blank diameter or weight Fortified Resin System (FRS) boosts blank strength by 33% over standard resins and curing methods Reinforced Slim Profile Ferrule (SPF) design adds herculean strength with minimal added weight   TANNIC MUSKY/PIKE MODELS   TCMP1090-4 / 10-weight, 9’, 4-piece, fast action / MSRP: $795 TCMP1190-4 / 11-weight, 9’, 4-piece, fast action / MSRP: $795 TCMP1290-4 / 12-weight, 9’, 4-piece, fast action / MSRP: $795   End the hunt for the ultimate warmwater-predator rods and move forward equipped for total satisfaction on the water. TANNIC BASS and TANNIC MUSKY/PIKE deliver optimized St. Croix performance paired with one-of-a-kind aesthetics and progressive ergonomics.   New-for-2026 TANNIC Series rods will be introduced at ICAST 2025 in July. TANNIC BASS will be available to anglers and authorized St. Croix specialty fly retailers on or about November 1. TANNIC MUSKY/PIKE will follow on or about December 1.     ABOUT ST. CROIX FLY At the core of our brand ethos lives a simple yet fierce conviction; we exist to create dynamic fishing tools that intuitively help you evolve as a caster and angler. Our focused philosophy continually questions conventional wisdom, inspires innovation, and drives our persistent pursuit of fly rod perfection. When you own a St. Croix — it’s more than just a rod, it’s a promise. It’s more than seven decades of hard-earned knowledge aimed at designing and building the Best Rods on Earth, so you can be at your best in your own persistent pursuit. Join our journey at stcroixfly.com. The St. Croix Family of Brands includes St. Croix Fly, St. Croix Rod, SEVIIN Reels, and Rod Geeks.

Thanksgiving Day 2024

 Thanksgiving afternoon made for a stunningly beautiful time to throw poppers on a pond! Hooked up a nice little bass, that was the icing on the cake!

The Catch and Release Pickers, The Fly Fishing Show Atlanta 2018

Great live entertainment before the IF4 show starts!

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Rainy day reading.

We're supposed to be having a very stormy Sunday here today (although the sun is still out), so I'm glad I got a "new" book in the mail this week. 1964 First Edition of Outdoor Life - America's Favorite Fishing. Hoping to pick up a few new/old pointers for catching bluegill! .

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More exploring!

More exploring of our new home today. This time we made it over to Blue Spring State Park in Orange City. Such an incredible thing to see, the water was crystal clear with a blue/green tint. You could see schools of 2 and 3 foot gar, large catfish and bass swimming by and we were even priviledged with sighting a small pod of manatees with calves! Unfortunately, fishing isn't allowed along the spring run and there's no room for a back cast along the main river. Definitely a natural wonder!

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Double Barrel Poppers from Flymen Fishing Co.

These Double Barrel Poppers from Flymen Fishing Co. really push some water and give a loud pop!! I can't wait to get a package and get a bunch tied up!! Those Dragon Eyes really set them off, too!!

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Such a blast on the fly!!

Got out with Steve Hudson tonight and caught a few more of these guys. Such a blast on the fly!! Too bad the run is winding down, but it was sure fun while it lasted!

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The One Pound Range!

Managed another largemouth on a popper today! According to the Release Ruler he was about 12 1/2" long, which clearly put him into the 1 pound range! I've never been one to carry a scale while fishing, so it's nice to have an easy to carry ruler that gives approximate weights!

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Largemouth Lovin'

I believe I was witnessing a little largemouth lovin' at the office pond tonight. They couldn't care less about me or the fly I dropped in front of them!!

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The Brim Buster

Tying a couple variations of the Brim Buster fly with Steve Hudson's Friday Night Fly Tying class!!

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How 'bout that? I managed to catch a nice little largemouth in the office pond after work tonight!! I think this guy might be my first on the fly. #Largemouth #bass #flyfishing #officepond #SuburbanAngling #largemouthbass

How 'bout that? I managed to catch a nice little largemouth in the office pond after work tonight!! I think this guy might be my first on the fly.

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My Favorite Accessories from IFTD and ICAST 2015

Mornin' Folks,

  Here's the third installment of my favorite products from IFTD and ICAST this year.  This post contains, what I consider, some of the best new accessory products and companies in fly fishing for the coming season.  Keep in mind that these are in no particular order whatsoever and I've included links to each company's website. 

  Tight lines,

       Nick

WetFly

WetFly are purveyors of rods, reels, lines, tenkara and fishing accessories.

This is WetFly's Voyager insulated bottle.  On the first day of the show the guys loaded this bottle up with ice.  On Friday, there was still ice in the bottle!  My current water bottle doesn't do that, and it would sure be nice to have cold water while spending the day fishing.

Release Ruler

The folks at Release Ruler have taken decades worth of fish size data, threw some math at it and came up with a ruler that, based on that statistical analysis, will give an approximate weight of your catch based on it's length.  The rulers are species specific, but they have them available for seemingly everything from largemouth bass up to mako shark!

The Release Ruler also won Best FishSmart Product in the ICAST New Product Showcase, which proves that I'm not the only one that thinks this is a great idea!

Hatch Outdoors

The Hatch Outdoors folks had a few cool tools on display, including their IFTD Best of Show Accessory, The Hatch Nipper.  The size and heft of these nippers really felt good and secure in the hand.  The Fish Tail bottle opener looks like a waterside necessity, too!

 

 Here's a beautifully machined knot tightener.  Used to tighten the knots on heavy

saltwater line, it's a tool I didn't even know existed!

Weego

 I'm a big fan of the "get your ass home" products.  After a day of bluelining a dead battery in the truck is one of my worst fears.

The folks in the Weego booth told me that the larger battery could jump start my truck 6-8 times on a single charge, charge my cell phone or laptop and do all that after sitting in the glove box for a year! 

Rising

 Determined to make your fly fishing life easier, with a strong made in America showing, Rising has everything from the aluminum Lunker and Brookie nets to multiple pliers and nippers to the Flask and Shot minimalist packs.  Since fly fishing tends to be more of a lifestyle than a hobby, they even make a grilling multi-tool called the PopsQTool!

 

Cigars in a Pouch

I would consider a good cigar a fly fishing accessory, especially one packed in a pouch that maintains freshness for up to three years! 

Brook Fishing Equipment

 I got to hang out for a little while with a couple of really nice guys from Brook Fishing Equipment.

 American made, silicon insert fly boxes. They even float!

Brook Fishing Equipment already has a pretty good range of sizes and styles for their fly boxes.  The Outta The Box patch would be great for the tying bench or drift boat, too!

Western Rise

 I've already mentioned Western Rise in the My Favorite Softgoods post, but they really have some great accessories as well.  Like this hatchet that's a collaboration with Victor Axe and Tool.

 If a full axe is more your thing, they've got you covered there, too!

 Enameled cups, water bottles, koozies and an ever expanding line.  Western Rise has your fishing camp needs pretty well covered.

TyWheel

Here's a cool item that was introduced at IFTD, the TyWheel is a magnetic, modular fly tying station that attaches to your fly vise. 

 The pieces hold on securely with magnets (with the side benefit of keeping your hooks in check) and can easily be swapped based on the configuration needed for the fly you're tying.

RIO Products

RIO had their new Cranky Kit on display.  Basically it's an empty line spool with a removable crank handle so you can strip line off your reel and back onto a spool for storage or to swap line on the same reel.  This would definitely be easier than trying to do it by hand!

 

RIO also introduced the new LightLine series of fly lines.  Designed to get the best performance out of fiberglass, bamboo and vintage action fly rods.  Available in Weight Forward and Double Taper from 2-6 weight.

 Tacky Fly Fishing

This was a long awaited item for me, the Tacky Big Bug Box!  I like to think I had a hand in this one when I asked the guys to make a box tall enough to house my bluegill poppers.  They delivered here, room for 72 large flies with a taller profile than the original box and a sculpted silicon mat to ease fly insertion.  Look for a review on TheSuburbanAngler.com soon and, in the mean time, check out my review of the original Tacky Fly Box.

 

Huge congrats to the Tackiest guys in fly fishing for their Best of Show Fly Box/Storage System win at IFTD 2015!

 

PostFly

I don't know about you, but I love getting fly fishing gear in the mail.  A subscription to PostFly Monthly Fly Box will ensure that you get a selection of quality, trout, bass or saltwater flies delivered to your door every month.  If that's not enough for you, you can add leader, tippet, fly line, fly dressing, t-shirts, a Tacky Fly Box, or even a Taylor reel!  And, the longer the period you sign up for, the bigger the discount you'll get!  I need to see if I can talk them into a Bluegill box...

 

Orion Coolers

Orion Coolers are probably the most thoughtful coolers I have ever seen.  It's awesome enough that this high end cooler is made by the same folks that make Jackson Kayaks and that they're made right in Sparta, Tennessee, but the standard accessories on this one really made it stand out to me.  The first thing that caught my eye was the removable Princeton Tec flashlight that's molded into the removable tray.  Looking closer, the standing pad on the lid is included as well as the YakAttak/RAM Mounts accessory tracks, tie down points, bottle openers and, one of the best parts in my opinion, Orion Coolers are certified bear proof by the IGBC!  

 

ARC Fishing

The ARC Fishing guys were on hand to introduce their New for 2016 ARC Dry Fly and ARC 99 Salt Coldwater lines.  Both lines feature the low-stretch Response Core, permanent PTFE coating for slickness and float, welded front and back loops and line ID system, as well as features specific to the lines intended conditions.  A big congratulations goes to them as well for winning a 2015 Fly Fish America Editor's Choice Award for the ARC Flourocoat Tippet!

 

Umpqua Feather Merchants

Huge thanks to the folks at Umpqua Feather Merchants for the pile of gear to test and review!

Evenin' Folks,

  If you follow me on social media then you've already seen these pictures, but I wanted to make sure and get them posted up here for those that don't.  Back at IFTD I had the pleasure of meeting the folks from Umpqua Feather Merchants and I had the opportunity to check out the soon-to-be-released gear they had in the works.  Fast forward a few months and I had a nice, big box waiting on the front porch full of a few pieces of that new gear that impressed me so much!  Keep an eye here on TheSuburbanAngler.com over the next few months as I do my First Cast review and follow ups.  I've already mounted the Tailgater on a storage container and filled a few of the pockets and I can tell already that it's going to become a vital piece of kit for me!

  I hope you're all doing well and staying warm this winter!

     -Nick

The Tailgater locked and loaded!  There are still a lot of empty pockets to fill!

Happy New Year 2015!!!!

Happy New Year!!! 2014 was a great year for The Suburban Angler and 2015 will be even better!! We've got some big plans in the works, starting with our first giveaway, so stay tuned! Thanks for all the support in 2014 and here's to a happy, healthy and prosperous new year!! 
   Thanks again,
        -Nick

Photos from iCAST and IFTD Day 3