Looking for a good salmon / steelhead rod & reel combo

[jebdrbhjb]

I'm relatively new to fly fishing and at this point, I only have one rod. It's a 9' 5# weight and is great for local (Portland) trout fishing. I'm looking for a second setup for salmon and steelhead fishing. I was in Grants Pass over the weekend and at the local fly shop they recommended a 10' 7# weight.

Thoughts? Recommendations (including reel)?

Thanks.

[MsOutdrs]

I'm relatively new to fly fishing and at this point, I only have one rod. It's a 9' 5# weight and is great for local (Portland) trout fishing. I'm looking for a second setup for salmon and steelhead fishing. I was in Grants Pass over the weekend and at the local fly shop they recommended a 10' 7# weight.

Thoughts? Recommendations (including reel)?

Thanks.

Go see Don at River City Fly Shop or Kaufmanns. They are located fairly close together. Don will not steer you wrong tho.

[MikeT]

As always, "it depends".....

If you want an all-around set-up for salmon/steelhead, you can easily cover coho/steelhead with an 8-wt. If you plan to fish chinook, I wouldn't go any smaller than a 10-wt. That's probably more stick than you want for steelhead, though.

A 7-wt. will work fine for summer steelhead but I'd go with an 8-wt or 9-wt. if you plan to fish heavy sink tips and/or heavy flies for winters.

You've got to decide how and where you plan to fish before you can dial in a set-up.

If it were me going for a versatile rod/reel combo with steelhead as the primary target, and maybe some cohos occasionally, I'd buy a medium-fast, 9-ft. 8-wt. and put a Lamson Radius 3.5 reel on it.

I've got 7-wt, 8-wt, and 9-wt. rods in 9-ft. and 9.5-ft. lengths. I mostly fish for summer steelhead with a floating line and find any of the 7- and 8-wts. work fine, but I prefer the 9-footers just because they don't wear my arm out as fast as a longer rod does. More pleasant to cast and plenty long enough to boom out long casts if needed. If you're young, have good wrist/elbow/shoulder joints, and don't mind wearing out your arm, then a 9.5 or 10-ft. rod will work fine, but you can't get around the laws of physics; those longer sticks make you work harder.

The Lamson Radius 3.5 is a discontinued reel that is about the best deal going right now. Great fit/finish, great sealed drag, and they're marked down to around $100 on the big auction site or at places like sierra trading post and flyshopcloseouts. That reel originally sold for over $200 at MSRP.

I don't have a specific rod recommendation, but Don or Pete at River City Fly Shop can show you some and give you a chance to cast them on the lawn. Echo makes some really good, reasonably priced rods that are worth a look.
Good luck with the search.....Mike

[surfnfish]

I'm relatively new to fly fishing and at this point, I only have one rod. It's a 9' 5# weight and is great for local (Portland) trout fishing. I'm looking for a second setup for salmon and steelhead fishing. I was in Grants Pass over the weekend and at the local fly shop they recommended a 10' 7# weight.

Thoughts? Recommendations (including reel)?

Thanks.


I'm selling a brand new Powell 9' 10 Wt., with new Redington CD 9/10 reel and Scientific Angler multip-tip line with floating, intermediate, sinking and fast sinking tips - all new. Cost $400, selling for $200. This package was bought for salmon and steelhead, only right after I bought it I tried my first spey rod and decided to go that route..you will not find a better deal. I'll even throw in a couple of leaders and a dozen salmon flies...

[Kevin2023]

I have a 10' 8 wt Echo and Okuma Helios reel I use for steelhead and coho that I love more than my family :D

[Skunked]

Have you thought about getting a spey rod?

[camA]

7# is good for steel, but not salmon. up it to either an 8# or 9#. they arent much of a difference, but you just feel more comfartable putting more preassure on the fish without breaking your rod. other than that, i would go with the heavier rod.

[hooksetter1]

Have you thought about getting a spey rod?

+1, you'll do it eventually!

[jebdrbhjb]

Have you thought about getting a spey rod?

No I haven't. I'll look into that as well.

[jebdrbhjb]

I'm selling a brand new Powell 9' 10 Wt., with new Redington CD 9/10 reel and Scientific Angler multip-tip line with floating, intermediate, sinking and fast sinking tips - all new. Cost $400, selling for $200. This package was bought for salmon and steelhead, only right after I bought it I tried my first spey rod and decided to go that route..you will not find a better deal. I'll even throw in a couple of leaders and a dozen salmon flies...

Surfnfish - let me check with the home CFO and I'll get back to you. Which model Powell rod is it?

Thanks.

[Wild Chrome]

A 7-wt. will work fine for summer steelhead but I'd go with an 8-wt or 9-wt. if you plan to fish heavy sink tips and/or heavy flies for winters.


If you're going to do it all with one single-handed rod, I'd get an 8 weight.

[rockaway]

If you're going to do it all with one single-handed rod, I'd get an 8 weight.

:yeahthat::clap:

[surfnfish]

Surfnfish - let me check with the home CFO and I'll get back to you. Which model Powell rod is it?

Thanks.
Powell Advantage XL - action is much like my much more expensive Sage VPS rods, medium fast with progressive action. I only cast the rod one time before switching to spey, and it definitely got the line out there ...

[Skunked]

Powell Advantage XL - action is much like my much more expensive Sage VPS rods, medium fast with progressive action. I only cast the rod one time before switching to spey, and it definitely got the line out there ...

There are a lot of single handed fly rods out there gathering dust because their owners are speycasters now. Definitely worth looking hard at a spey rod if your after salmon or steelhead on a fly