Thunderstick

Awesome experience on the PM yesterday chasing Kings! More will follow, but one of the highlights was doing it on my own rig. Somehow I find that even more rewarding than using the guide's gear.

This was the first outing for salmon set-up; TFO 10 wt. 9' rod, Orvis BLA V reel (one of my steelhead rigs), with Climax Zip line for chuck-n-duck. Couldn't be happier with its performance!

From my first hook-up I could tell this was going to get the job done. The TFO rod casts great, but more importantly has the backbone to handle a big, angry salmon. I was consistently able to muscle these monsters out of tricky situations with this rod. Low cost, and with a lifetime warranty - nice! The Orvis BLA's drag system slowed 'em down nicely, while providing some tippet protection.

Thanks to guide Gene Lake for turning me on to Zip line - no nasty memory coils so it casts just great. As a bonus, it's CHEAP!

Loved this style of fishing with strong fights, and lots of fish that outsmart or just plain outfight you. And with this rig, I felt like I had a solid chance at anything I hooked well. More will follow on this great day when I get some more pics from my buddy Dan.

-Sean-