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's easy to see why. Fishing the Cowlitz River in west-central Washington just up the road from G.Loomis-you've hit 9-foot country, and that's where this rod shines. It handles the long leaders and light leads required for the low, clear water of summer, and the heavier gear needed to fish the high, green water of winter.