G Loomis Dredger GLX 7/8 OR 8/9

[Steelseeker]

I've decided to bite the bullet and finally buy the rod I've always wanted. The only question now is which one to buy. I've evolved into a steelheader (as the username suggests) so I'm thinking that the 7/8 would be enough. But I do find that I'm wondering if a 8/9 might be more suited to some of the bigger rivers that I do tend to fish, ie the Vedder, Campbell and the Skeena trip I'm planning in the fall. Then I wonder about fishing for Springs. I know a rod with a bit more backbone would be useful. I want a good all purpose rod but I don't want to feel like I'm overkilling. The skagit master videos that I've watched seem to suggest that the 7/8 would be all I need. I'm stumped.

[ded heron]

I have a very firm opinion that may be a tad different than most on this subject. Way too many people are under gunned for the task. Using a 7/8 for steelhead borders on unethical in my book. When your fishing the long rod, the take is all the same. 8, 9, 10 weights all feel the same for the grab. The difference being that when you hook fish in the 12# and up class you want to be able to turn that fish at YOUR discretion and not the fish. Only newbies use the excuse "I want to feel the fight". Real steelheaders hook fish and bring them to hand as quickly as possible. The other thing being is that with a little bigger rod, you can throw lead-eyed chickens with bike chain tips if you so desire. I fish the Vedder all the time and fish the Skeena and tribs every year and all I will string up is my 9wt. I haven't even thought about slinging the 7 around. Not to say I don't use it from time to time. It's fun to slay the dollies with it.
All that being said a little heavier rod will allow you to be a bit more versatile when conditions dictate. Wind, distance and a heavier fly will be a tad more manageable, making your time on the water that much more pleasurable. You gotta remember that 99.75% of all your time on the water will be casting and hoping. You want to be ready and have the jam to land the brute that just killed your fly.
On a side note, I've mentioned to my wife more than once, that if she wins the lotto I want an 17' 11wt GLX so that I can cast a fly to Saskatchewan and skate a 20 pounder to the beach.

[TieFlier]

I do agree with what ded heron is saying in principle, but I do feel that saying a 7/8 spey is too light of a rod is a bit off (IMO). But I am no expert. I would think about the actual weight difference between the two rods as well. Its not just the rod size increase that will add weight, you may feel the need to set up to a larger reel to hold the larger line and the line itself will be a tab heavier. I'm not saying that you have to be a hulk to play with the rod for a day but it may take a bit more out of you if than you think. This could be the difference between a tiring day on the river and a day on the river Just food for thought.
If you are planning to chase springs around with this set-up then I would recommend the 8/9. Big springs need big rods, nuff said.

[SalaR]

IMO there is merit to everything said in the context being presented! There are 7/8 weights and then there are other 7/8 weights. SO now you know the need for 2 rods???ouch!
Currently I am fishing a 13'8" #8 Beulah Platinum rod and it is One of those rods that I would be happy fishing all those rivers mentioned...however,if I am wanting to fish large Springs then my go to rod is actually the Snowbee 12'6" Snowbee 7/8 weight. Fishing the Skeena Tribs ,especially in higher water the need for the bigger sticks is apparent...however,fishing all day and really enjoying that experience requires a special rod that is both powerful yet light in hand and able to deliver tasks you ask of it.
So,having a good rod with a good reel will tell the tale...I would suggest that if you have a click pawl reel the need for a more powerful and longer rod is more ideal,if you have an efficient drag system on a reel then the rod is likely less needed to power up on the fish..When I fish my old Hardy reels and Rods I like the 14 and 15' rods;using a reel with a serious drag I tend to like shorter lighter rods.
If you are a dry fly fisher then the longer rods ,IMO,are a better tool..
C

[btree]

Another way to look at this whole thing is to think about your tippet strength. If you plan to push your rod to around 70-80% of it's abilities for fish hauling/lifting, consider this. No matter how hard I pull on my 5/6 wt single hander, I have a tough time breaking the 8lb or 10lb test tippet that I usually use if I suspect that I might be into decent sized fish on occasion...of course I could just straighten the rod and snap it off that way (believe me, I catch a lot of trees, so I know...) but give it a try yourself, tie your leader to something solid and then pull on your rod like your fighting a fish. I bet you stop pulling before the tippet breaks because you're worried about breaking your rod if using a 5 or 6 wt to break 10lb tippet.

So scale things up a bit. So think about 15lb (an ethical strength for steelhead in my books) or even 20lb tippet (more in line with springs). I doubt that I could break 15lb line by using the bend in the rod with an 8wt, not to mention 20lb... Of course I could break even the 20 lb with a straight rod, but if I were to pit my flexed rod against 20lb tippet, I'd be scared to break my rod... So when considering springs, I'd have to go with at least a 12wt to put the kind of pressure on the fish that my tippet allows.

To illustrate, I recently was luck enough to tackle a decent sized steelie with 10lb tippet on that 7/8 12'6" snowbee spey SalaR mentioned - a somewhat fast action rod (tip flex rather than full flex). I also have a decent disc drag reel, and I use the drag system to my advantage - a couple clicks tighter after each run.

For that fish that was ~15lb, it took me around 5min to land and release it, well within a time window that I find reasonable, and I think the fish would agree since it had plenty of juice to take off before I was ready to get some nice pictures...you probably saw my crappy pics.

But knowing the limitations of my tippet and that most rods can be stressed way more than most of us are willing to consider, I put a lot of pressure on fish and try to land them as fast as I can. Most of what helps me land fish is not my rod, but my feet. I try to maintain pressure across current rather than insisting on holding my ground and hauling the fish up current. Though I do like to let'em run when they want to go.

I don't think it's the rod that turns the fish so much as the fisherman applying enough drag (palmed or otherwise) at the correct angle, and having enough tensile strength in the leader given that the straighter the rod gets, the more direct force is on the leader... Like I've said in other places, I've landed chums and springs on trout rods, but there were times that I had to just let the fish run, and other times I'm straight rodding it and using the reel more than the rod to control the fish. Using 15lb tippet on a 5/6 wt seems silly, and it is, but if your drag is butter smooth, you can pull it off and just fight the fish off the reel more than using the flex of the rod to help you out.

But like Salar says, if you have a disc drag reel, you can do this much easier than with a click-pawl.

I think the bigger issue is not going into the battle with tippet that is way to light. I wouldn't feel undergunned for steel on a 7/8 spey as long as I had a reel with a smooth drag. Springs... well that's another story...perhaps the 8/9 would be more appropriate for you, and would ensure you never have to really worry about ethical considerations for stressing most fish you're likely to come across.

[Steelseeker]

Thanks very much for all the replies. Lots of good info there. I've decided to go ahead and get the 8/9 dredger. This stick feels great, though I don't have it in my possession yet. My guess is that going from the TFO that I have now to this new rod I'm going to have to slow down my casting. Correct?

[btree]

Slowing down is always a good idea

Another good thing about going with the 8/9 is that you are able to carry more grains, and are then able to toss heavier tips and larger flies if you want. Of course the regular sized flies and tips will be easy as can be.

[Steelseeker]

Well, I've finallly got it. I went ahead and got the 8/9. In the end, it is it's versatility. ...and someone also mentioned handling Springs too and I made up my mind. I was casting it yesterday on the Vedder and it feels great. I was suprised how easily this rod seems to load and it's lightweight feel makes casting effortless. Thanks guys for all your input in helping me with my choice. I appreciate it.

[ded heron]

Just wait until you get that big grab! It'll ruin you life!