Rods

Rods: Eight to twelve feet long, throwing #7 - #9 lines ( there's ALWAYS a wind ), and matt varnished.

OK, I have used a #4 brook rod. There are occasional circumstances that allow that sort of thing. It bent double with a 2lb pollock, great fun but not something I'd advise until you've caught a few.

Rod action is a matter of personal preference. To throw a big fly into a wind they need plenty of backbone. Many strong rods are very stiff all the way to the tip, I'm not sure if this is a good thing. I fancy there's a need for a little give in the tip even if this does open the casting loop and lose a little distance. experiments continue.