Spey Rods For Steelies

[yahoo]

What would be a better spey rod for fishing steelhead ? 7wt. or 8 wt.

[BurningChrome]

I think either one would be fine without one necessarily being better than the other. I know lots of guys who use a 7wt and lots who use an 8wt. Just buy one of each

[kevbine]

And it really depends on the manufacturer too. Sometimes a 7 is really an 8, case in point the Sage TCX 7126 Deathstar...

I'd say they are both good and on average you are hooking steelies in the 6-12 pound range and for that the 7 is way more fun.

Start with a 7 and then you'll have some much fun you're going to want an 8 the next year!

[Dangus]

lots of things to consider. Size of river, type of fly, presentations/season, size of fish etc when choosing a rod. But in general...

 

I'd say the go-to for most winter or northern bc fall situations would be a 13'6" 7/8. Go 7 if your more likely to fish fall than winter as you won't be swinging many 200 grain sink tips.

 

Summer fish in Oregon, Washington and BC or east coast "steelhead" are likely better fished with a 11-12'6" 6/7. Again, depends on the size of the water. Shorter and lighter the smaller the river...

Jeez, I didn't even do a good job with "in general."

 

Because it's really not as simple as just picking a number.

Also, a lot of two handed Rods are rated "6/7" or "5/6/7"

Refer to my first statement...

[Villageidiot]

Another thing to consider... The new skagit max trout heads and the OPST Commando heads are a little too much fun with a SH rod. In a 6 or 7wt would be perfect for swinging vancouver island/summer steelhead/small stream stuff. The 11' 250 grain head on my 690 one rips with a sculpin and 2.5 int/7.5' t-11 Imow tip.

 

As far as an all round steelhead spey. I've always leaned towards a bigger rig (575-625grain window), because you can always size down with tips or lines to fish dries on a heavier rig, however if you're ever in the scenario you need to fish something heavy in turbulent water, a heavier rig will manage the necessary head and tip/flies, better than the lighter rig would.

[KnotLikely]

If you're going to be fishing the Skeena watershed I'd be looking for a rod that throws a 500 - 625 grain line. This may be a heavy 7, an 8 or an 8/9. Maybe it's just the crowd I fish with, but I rarely see anyone fishing lighter, unless it's dryfly time. The majority of people I've fished with from Canada, US, UK, Scandinavia etc. will end up with a rod in this range, Even the the guys from the UK with their 15' 10wt salmon rods, will end up using an '8 wt' before the end of the trip.