"Ken Fortenberry" wrote in message
t...
Tom Nakashima wrote:
"Ken Fortenberry" wrote:
... I may have to just buy
one blind through mail order. Thanks in advance.

Ken,
you didn't say what you're going to be using the rod for?

In the near term I'll use it to cast a 9wt fly line with an
intermediate sink tip, a short hunk of mono, a short tippet
of titanium wire and big honkin' muskie flies. But I'd like
to think I could use it in the salt too if I ever have the
chance and for salmon as well.

In anycase, I cast the TFO TiCrX in a 9ft. 9wt and found
it to be too stiff. I ended up purchasing the TFO Professional
Series in a 10wt. 9ft. They're a little softer action, but cast pretty
well. I used the TFO Pro in Alaska on the river for King Salmon
up to37 pounds.

I didn't want to fork out a lot of money for a heavy weight fly-rod
for what I was only going to use once a year. I also wanted a good
quality fly-rod with a good casting action and one with a
unconditional warranty. The TFO professional fit that bill pretty nice.
I'll be taking back to Alaska in July for the King Salmon Run.

Thanks Tom. My guide insists that only fast action rods will do
and he recommended against "sal****er" rods because while their
butts are strong their tips are too weak to withstand that little
figure-8 thing you do to catch muskies right next to the boat if
(and hopefully when ;-) the muskie slams the fly with only 10 foot
of line out past the tip top. But not to worry, he just happens to
sell precisely the right rod for the task, designed by his ownself
and built to his exacting specs by an American fly rod manufacturer
that, for contractual reasons, he cannot name. So, if I wanted a
$500 muskie-only fly rod I'd probably buy one from the guide but
it'd be nice to have a "better rounded" 9wt in the quiver.

--
Ken Fortenberry

Yes, definitely agree for those muskies and can see the need for a good
stiff fly-rod with backbone for lifting power and sal****er resistance.
Your personal guide is probably your best resource, as he wants to
keep you as a customer, so you can count on him to steer you in the
right direction.
Good luck with those muskies and do post a report, I would love to
hear about them.
-tom