02-28-2012, 07:22 PM
Last year, after a couple years of shopping and researching, I finally purchased a SAMR1174C specifically for salmon fishing in Idaho. Don't worry that they call it a mooching rod, it is the most perfect rod for drift fishing Idaho's chinook that I have seen yet - and I started during the 2000 season.
It should also probably be noted that I thought I already had the perfect rod for that job. It's a 1 piece 8'0" St. Croix, but after some time, I decided that I need some extra length from time to time. [
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For steelhead, I run Cabela's XML's. I'm not sure that they are the ultimate, but I have loved them and haven't convinced myself that I need anything better (and that is actually saying something [cool]). I bought my first one back in 1999 when they were still using Loomis blanks on them. It's the 9 footer. I caught alot of steelhead on that rod. I still have and use that rod. Then I bought the exact same rod in the XML Ti when they closed out the XML Ti Salmon/Steelhead series - love that rod as well. Finally I bought the 10 footer with the weight balance system a couple years back for float fishing the Clearwater, and that rod is a dream as well.
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It should also probably be noted that I thought I already had the perfect rod for that job. It's a 1 piece 8'0" St. Croix, but after some time, I decided that I need some extra length from time to time. [
] For steelhead, I run Cabela's XML's. I'm not sure that they are the ultimate, but I have loved them and haven't convinced myself that I need anything better (and that is actually saying something [cool]). I bought my first one back in 1999 when they were still using Loomis blanks on them. It's the 9 footer. I caught alot of steelhead on that rod. I still have and use that rod. Then I bought the exact same rod in the XML Ti when they closed out the XML Ti Salmon/Steelhead series - love that rod as well. Finally I bought the 10 footer with the weight balance system a couple years back for float fishing the Clearwater, and that rod is a dream as well.
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