I could use some input.
I'm looking at longer rods to fish the big rivers for steel head. Cabela's has an 11'rod w/reel , moderate fast action. It comes in 6wt. & 8wt.
The reels are disc drag & hold plenty of line. 245 yards I think with the 8wt. My question is, how will that length rod with that action cast a shooting head, or fast sinking line being,it was designed for use from a float tube. I haven't used a rod longer than 9&1/2 & haven't cast that type of line before. In the future, I may purchase a float tube & fish some of the lakes known to hold large trout. Will the 6wt. work well as a dual purpose rod?
Thought I would throw it out here, before I part with the cash. Thanks !

The rod will work for both pruposes no doubt, but it will be better suited for summer steelhead than any other fish. 11' is a bit much for any trout except for Huge AK Rainbow rivers. I think you are in a bind here, a 10' #6 would serve you better for a dual purpose rod.

I cant imagine why the 11' would make it more difficult to cast a shooting head. If anything it would make it easier since you'd have more leverage for roll casting. Also, becuase it's a float tube rod, I'm sure it's capable of handling the torque of bringing heavy sinking lines out of the water since much of float tubing is down with fast sinking/full sinking lines. As for the 6 vs. 8 weight dilemma. I would be awfully hard pressed to get a 6. Especially since you want the extra length for larger rivers. I can't speak from experience on this exact subject, but I think I'd rather have a stiff, 9' 8wt to make a long cast on the deschutes rather than a flimsier, 11' 6wt... just my opinion though. One more thing - i'm almost positive I've seen this rod talked about on other boards. I'd search the net for a few minutes and see what you can find.

If your going to fish steelhead for the majority, go with the 8 wt. It will be easier on the fish you C&R. Good luck

Unless it's set up to cast as a two-handed rod, kind of like a short spey rod, most people can't cast and fish an 11 foot rod (especially in 8-weight, and certainly with sintips) for a full day without experiencing some serious arm fatigue. I would highly recommend trying it (or one like it) before purchasing. Because all that leverage also works against you--think of a simple lever or teeter-totter with the fulcrum fixed close to one end--as the lever length increases, it becomes harder to lift the same weight--an 11 foot rod is actually requires more work on your part to move the line, than say a more conventional 9 to 10 foot rod. Hopefully I'm making sense here. Anyway, I'm not saying you won't like it, but there's a good chance that if you're fishing heavy tips, the rod will wear you out and find a nice resting place in your closet or on e-bay. Hope this helps--it's just my .02 from someone who spends a lot of time with a fly rod in hand. Good luck.

Its all about the strength of your wrist I have met only a very few individuals capable of fishing any thing over 10' for more than an hour or less. However the few that can really throw alot of line a long bloody way.
The best of the 11' graphite rods is the loomis euro. But be warned the tips on these extra long single handed rods are very fragile and will break even if you do everything right. So guarentee is crucial on these rods.
My honest recomendation is to take a good look at the catalogs and stay under 10' in an 8wt. Have a good time sorting it all out!

JC,

The action may be described as moderate fast, but at 11' for an 8 wt., I think it will feel slow. I used to have a 10 1/2' 8 wt., and it was, well, very slow. Personally, I don't think such a rod will fish much more effectively than a 9 or 9 1/2' in the same line wt. You could mend a little more line, but I've found I can mend all the line I need with my 9 1/2'er.

That length in a 6 wt. would be even more extreme, and unsuitable for steelhead in my opinion. In general, beware of extremes. They are invariably specialized and should only be selected when you have sufficient experience to judge that you need, or can make good use of, something out of the ordinary.

In a single handed rod, I think a 9 1/2' 8 wt. and a durable reel that holds a 100 yds. of backing is perfect for fishing the Skagit. But then, there's always the novel and practacle side of swinging a two-handed rod. A 13 or 14' stick at 8 - 10 wt. can be a lot of fun and a very practacle way to fish medium and large size rivers.

In general, I wouldn't try to mix trout and steelheading into one all-purpose rod. The line wt. that comes closest to that is 7 wt., which I think is genuinely too light for winter steelhead on the Skagit and most rivers.

Sincerely,

Salmo g.

JCSkagit

Salmo made some good points. I have an 11 1/2' Loomis GLX in an 8-9 weight, I love it, but it isn't a full-time all purpose rod. I use mine mainly for casting heavier lines like the Teeney 300 and 400's. It is rated as a fast rod, and has the power to shoot those heavier lines. Because of its length it does feel slow. It took some getting use to when I started casting it.

There are trade offs no matter what rod you choose. If you think the majority of your steelheading will be done locally in the summer and you want something that will still be a good trout rod, I would look for a 7 weight or maybe a real fast 6 weight in the 9'6" range. If you plan on fishing the heavier flows of winter where you will need a 300 or 400 grain line, and larger flys, then you will need something that probably won't be so good for trout.

Hope this helps.

[This message has been edited by Vic (edited 03-14-2001).]

Hello all. I too have the 11'6" Loomis for an 8/9 wt. I like this rod best on small rivers when swinging sink tips. I use an 8/9/10 Windcutter line. It's a mini spey rod that is great on little rivers like the N. Fk. Nehalem or the Necanicum. For big rivers I like a 14' 9 wt. spey rod.

Cabela's sent me the 11-foot 8-wt CAbela's rod you mention for a product review and, while it's a nice rod, I have to agree with the above posts. 11 feet is a lot of single-handed rod to swing for any length of time. At one time I had a thing for long rods and built a 10 1/2-foot Hardy and an 11- foot Loomis. After a single season I found myself abandoning them in favor of my 9 1/2-footers. The advantage of the very long rod is, of course, improved line-handling and mending, but this is much better served with a two-hander.

More input on the 11-6 Loomis ... I use it from time to time and you can cast a line a mile and I like the mending ability, but you definitely feel it before too long. I bought it myself just to throw 400+ grain heads and it does that well if you adjust, but it's certainly not going to be my favorite rod of choice ... just another tool in the box. I do find I can cast the heavy lines better with this than my 10' 9 weight GLX, but not so with the lighter ones ... My neck's getting sore just thinking about it