As you travel north through steelhead country, rod lengths gradually increase (by the time you get to Canada, you’re up to 12 feet or more), but when you look at the techniques involved it is easy to see why. Float fishing requires long rods to handle the floats and long leaders, while the smaller, brushy rivers of Northern California require shorter, lighter rods for success. By the time you get to the Cowlitz River in west central Washington - just up the road from Edge - you’ve hit 9-foot country, and that is where this rod shines. It handles the long leaders and light leads required for the low, clear water of summer, and the heavier gear necessary to fish the high, emerald-green water of December. The graphite is IM, because sensitivity is the name of the game and overall weight is an important factor, especially in a longer rod. 

A wonderful big-river steelhead rod, this 9 ½-footer is the rod of choice in northern Washington and southern British Columbia. The extra length allows you to fish a float or use traditional drift fishing methods with artificial eggs, bait and spinners. Boat anglers like this rod for boondogging the likes of the Skagit and Cowlitz.