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steelhead rod


EatSleepFish

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i currently have a orvis rocky mountain series 8' 3" 7 wt. fly rod that i have been using for steelhead the past two years. it has no fighting butt and it is a tad bit too light for steelhead. i was thinking of upgrading to a st.croix 9' 6" 8 wt. sc II graphite. for $110. i was just wondering what everyone else prefers for steelhead fishing, before i decide to get a new rod.

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I use a 9', 8wt, 4pc rod built on a Dan Craft FT blank. It's pretty fast action with loads of backbone which works well when tossing lots of weight (chuck and duck line, heavy sink tip, shooting line and slip sinker, etc) but also behaves well when using a regular fly line and more normal fare. I built a moderately fast 9', 9wt 3 piece on a Rainshadow blank for my wife which should also work really well on the Brule. I'm also looking at a fairly short 8/9wt Spey rod for those times when you don't have room for a backcast and still want to reach out and touch somebody.

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If I'm in the river I'm using my 9 ft. 4piece 8 wt. If I am shore casting in the big lake, I have my 10 wt. so I can really load the line and shoot it as far as I can.

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9' 8 wt. st croix ultra legend is my favorite steelie rod...a great plenty for Mn fish, and just enough sometimes for lake MI tribs:)

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I have not cast the rod you're thinking about, but I think you are definitely on the right track in moving up a line weight and, particularly, by going longer. The additional length does help with distance when you need it and it always helps with line control. Good luck.

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I personally like a 9 1/2 ft rod for steelies. When fishing bass a 9 ft is good for throwing heavier flies, but for drifting I like a longer rod. I use a 7 wt on the north shore and a 8 on the brule.

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