I've had the 11'6 8 wt. for quite a few years. I use it for steelhead in smaller rivers and sockeye on the Kenai. Nice rod, casts well and it's been durable.
Yup - I picked up the 11' 8wt and find it to be a very user friendly and effective rod, especially for the price. Lots of fun with a 350 Commando as a base head; also 390 Rage works well for me.
Fenix - frankly, I don't worry about that a whole lot, but I've used a Bougle 3 3/4 and a 3 7/8 Perfect - both seem fine to me. It's a pretty light rod notwithstanding the 8wt rating.
Sorry for being so hung up on this balance thing its just i never owned a spey rod and hear that balance is much more important opposed to single handed rods.
Gee, I am not sure how much the reel with line weighs, I can put it on a scale when I get home. That rod is so light that it should balance with a variety of reels. What are you considering to use on it?
My Hardy Marquis 10 with line weighs about 7.5 ounces. I had a Hardy Perfect 3 7/8 on there as well and it also balanced fine too even if it is a bit heavier.
I own the 10'6" 5 wt switch. GREAT ROD. I use a 31' steelhead scandi that I cut down to 28'. Not sure of the weight as I never threw it on the scale but I'd assume somewhere around 290 gr.
I use a bunch of LSi's. I own multiple single handers from 3 wt up to 10 wt. You can get them on sale every now and then for about $100. The warranty is great (never had to use it though). They are the best kept secret in fly fishing...
Yeah i heard they go on sale but for some reason they are sold cheaper here in Canada than in the US. The regular price for them here is 220 CDN or 160 USD. On the US Cabelas website it has them for 240 US. For once its better to buy up here.
Dr, do you have any opinions on reel weight/balance? Trying to get an idea on what weight reel to add to it.
Thanks for the replies everyone I decided to pick one up and give it a try, hopefully i don't change my mind before it arrives The only problem now is i need a new reel, and from everyones experience something between the 6.5-7.5 ounce range (with line) would be a good range.
I own an 8wt single hand LSI I snagged in the bargain cave for $100. Best casting single hand rod I own!! I wouldn't hesitate to try out one of their switch rods.
Since the rod doesn't ship out till Monday i thought id see whats selling on the used market. If you have anything you want to sell in the 4wt or 5wt let me know.
Hi fenix, I hope this info doesn't arrive too late to help you. I own an LSi 11'6" 8wt and I got my son the 10'6" 5wt. I find them to be nice rods(especially in light of their low cost). For the 8wt I use an Echo Ion 8/10 reel(it weighs 8.3oz empty, according to their website) and an Airflo Rage 480. On the LSi 5wt we use an Echo Ion 6/7 reel(5.5oz empty). I tried a few different lines before I found one that I felt loaded that rod properly. I took a chance and bought a line from another member from the classifieds. That line is an SGS Alpha Trout Scandi(by Steve Godshall). the line is 26.2 feet at 342 grains and has an integrated Elf running line. I really like the way the rod casts with that line!
Its not too late paflybow, thanks a lot for the information, i really appreciate it. I've not considered the Echo Ion reel but i ll take a look at it, definitely has a great price. How do you think it will do against medium sized pike and the smaller salmon species?
I'm hoping to use the same reel for this rod with a SH 9' 8wt since the line weights are similar. I'm quite set on getting some 30# running line then adding different heads for the different situation.
Thanks for the line suggestion. I don't know a whole lot about lines but was either going to go with the following for a scandi.
Rio Scandi Short (360GR, 31')
Airflo Scandi Compact (360GR, 30')
They seem to measure really close to your SGS line so i think i ll be safe with either choices. They are a tad heavier but since i m still learning the ropes it might benefit me to load up a bit more.
Those line choices should work just fine, I would think. As to the reels standing up to the big game, I can't honestly answer. I haven't used the ion 8/10 too much(it's on a backup rod that I just don't use too often). I will say that I like the "feel" and smoothness of the reels and I do feel confident that it will handle the pike and steelies just fine. I use the ion 6/7 reel quite a bit, but that's just for trout. Google the reels and see what the reviews are like. I think that for the low price they are great reels. I would probably try and keep them as dry and clean as possible, just in case...
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