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[fullahead]

Centerpin/9 wt?
I just started fishing John Milner’s new ball bearing reels, it is great. I have never fished a pin before, with three split shots; I can cast across the river. Any one buying one would not be disappointed. I want to buy a new center pin rod. My question is could a guy use a 9-weight fly rod, casting three split shot, or is the rod to light? Any advice would be appreciated. 

[Bone Cross]

I do it all the time. It's a perfect setup for smaller flows. I use a 9ft 9weight Temple Fork fly rod. I decided to give the vedder a try this past weekend. I fished alone(so it wasn't me ) and managed to hook into an abosolute brute. He was way too much for the rod in that big river. But I have landed many steelhead in the smaller local flows with no problem. In the vedder I generally run my G-Loomis GL2.

[johnny]

I know quite a few guys that had fly blanks made into drift rods.. you get the best of both worlds that way.

[Xgolfman]

I read a fishing report recently where the guy caught a good sized wild one on his 9wt. He was using a 10' sage xp...I have this same set up so took it out with my pin and tried it...I put a small about of weight on and had a hard time controlling my cast, granted it was without a float which would have added weight so that might have helped...It was a very light and manageable to carry, the gentleman said he has fished his for a couple years now and his friends do as well...My major concern is the snake guides...I would be concerned about trashing a really good fly rod when you can buy some decent pin rods for half the price...

Also we could get into the fact that what is the point really in fighting a steelhead to near death on such a light rod??? I love to ask this question because on my fly sites so many guys practice C & R, that I can't understand the point in undergunning yourself so you can enjoy fighting a fish so long it's chance of survival after you release it is near nill???

There are many affordable pin rods out there, until your really accomplished at it, I would ask, Why? more then Why not?...

[Bone Cross]

Also we could get into the fact that what is the point really in fighting a steelhead to near death on such a light rod??? I love to ask this question because on my fly sites so many guys practice C & R, that I can't understand the point in undergunning yourself so you can enjoy fighting a fish so long it's chance of survival after you release it is near nill???

Are you kidding me with this? Your saying that fighting a fish on a fly rod is undergunning yourself and will result in a long battle? If you have such a problem with this than tell me the difference between what I'm doing and fly fishing. If what I'm doing will puts too much stress on a fish then that is the same as someone fly fishing for them.

[Geff_t]

Centerpin/9 wt?
I just started fishing John Milner’s new ball bearing reels, it is great. I have never fished a pin before, with three split shots; I can cast across the river. Any one buying one would not be disappointed. I want to buy a new center pin rod. My question is could a guy use a 9-weight fly rod, casting three split shot, or is the rod to light? Any advice would be appreciated. 

I got a nice 9wt for sale in the buy and sell at a good price.

[Gooey]

No one wants to break a rod on a fish so often after water visibility is considered, the line class comes into play.  Now I know the manufactures don't class fly rods like drift rods..ie 8-12lb, 8-17lb, etc but I would feel totally comfortable running 10lb leader on a 9w....there for I can't see a 9w being too light or undergunned for the vedder.

I built up a  3 piece 9', 9w st croix as a CP/spin caster.  It handled the chums with ease!  It will be great to get a steely on it too...so yes, use a 9w not problem.

Only minus is the short butt.  casting and fighting a fish with a CP is greatly aided by that 6 inch extension.  You should talk to bug pumper, he has a 6 or 7 weight fly rod and a shop built him an 18 inch etension so he could use a baitacaster on it (or something like that).
 

[Xgolfman]

Also we could get into the fact that what is the point really in fighting a steelhead to near death on such a light rod??? I love to ask this question because on my fly sites so many guys practice C & R, that I can't understand the point in undergunning yourself so you can enjoy fighting a fish so long it's chance of survival after you release it is near nill???

Are you kidding me with this? Your saying that fighting a fish on a fly rod is undergunning yourself and will result in a long battle? If you have such a problem with this than tell me the difference between what I'm doing and fly fishing. If what I'm doing will puts too much stress on a fish then that is the same as someone fly fishing for them.

NO I'm not KIDDing YOU...I'm saying if your putting a pin on a fly rod, why use a rod fighting a fish that it's not designed to do ?....I would take any steelhead on my 9wt set up and that's what I fish for them with But  it's not the same because I'm using a FLY LINE and can run and have run heavier tippet ...For steelhead I would use 10lb at the lightest...AND I  know my Xp will handle it...Putting a pin on that same rod and fighting a fish would prove what???  So don't get holier then though or elitist with me!! 90% of these guys will C & R the fish, so what's the point in using a ROD that isn't made for a Center pin unless your out there to use a light set up that is going to give YOU maximum fun???

[Sterling C]

I've never fished a pin so forgive my ignorance but I fail to see how fishing a pin on a fly rod would be any different than a standard fly reel. I typically fish with the clicker on my reel on its lowest setting and palm my reel for resistance, which is what you do with a centerpin right?!?

[mastercaster]

My buddy has a 9 or10 wt. that has been built up into a baitcaster rod and he doesn't have any problems playing playing chum or Thompson steelies with it.  The problem he does have sometimes is getting good hooksets on large rivers where you're casting as far out as you can cast; maximum distance.  His rod doesn't have the backbone to set up on the fish if the float is 50 yds away from him as well as conventional rods like a 4120 , my rod of choice for larger systems.   Consequently he has lost fish because of it.  The nice thing about it is ...it's so much easier on the body packing it around all day.

[Xgolfman]

I've never fished a pin so forgive my ignorance but I fail to see how fishing a pin on a fly rod would be any different than a standard fly reel. I typically fish with the clicker on my reel on its lowest setting and palm my reel for resistance, which is what you do with a centerpin right?!?

The line is the main difference.... I can bring in big silvers and mean chum on my 9wt...I can crank down the drag when needed and bring them right to my feet....Honestly, The rod may or may not be that big of a deal in itself... I'm sure you could take a blank and build it up with decent guides and a fighting butt and it would work fine..or at the very least work well and be a great coho/pink rod....I've got that same set up ( 10' 9wt xp) as used by another guy on here...I tried it out in my back ally...The snake guides just don't look or feel like they'd handle mono with a big fish all that well..that's IMHO but I'd be scared to fuk up an excellent fly rod using it that way.....So...I'd baby the fish and try to not mess up my rod...And that's my point, Why waste a good fly rod with a centerpin??? IF you want to fly fish, Fly fish...It's not like this is a hatchery only fishery and your going to bonk the mother anyways.... I can't say why these guys choose to fish um... but I know from my own experience it's not because it's getting the fish in any faster...And I won't speculate as to why someone would choose to fish for steelhead any other way...So, I'll leave that alone...
I'm not anti-fly at all...It's mainly what I fish for all other species... but I don't use my centerpin rod with a fly reel ... too much OVERKILL maybe??? So what does the opposite mean???

[redside1]

try looking at a Trophy XL 9' c/p rod. Pretty much a 9/10 wt fly blank made into a drift rod. Not custom built but priced right. I love mine.

[Gooey]

A fly rod is designed to transmit as much energy from the cast thru to the fly line so you can lay it out there...once you got a fish on, its just another fishing rod!  You dont see many multi piece blanks until you start looking at fly rods, I wanted a multi piece center pin/spinning rod, so I found a 9'9w st croix on ebay and picked it up for $39.50.  Its a great rod and with a fish on the other end, feels no different than any other light action rod. 

2 points to consider, casting is a little trickier as the rod is much slower to load and like someone else mentioned, they dont have as much back bone for the hook set. 

[Xgolfman]

A fly rod is designed to transmit as much energy from the cast thru to the fly line so you can lay it out there...once you got a fish on, its just another fishing rod!  You dont see many multi piece blanks until you start looking at fly rods, I wanted a multi piece center pin/spinning rod, so I found a 9'9w st croix on ebay and picked it up for $39.50.  Its a great rod and with a fish on the other end, feels no different than any other light action rod. 

2 points to consider, casting is a little trickier as the rod is much slower to load and like someone else mentioned, they dont have as much back bone for the hook set. 

Do you find the 4 pieces to be a problem??? all mine are 4 piece and I've wondered why they don't do this in gear or pin rods??? Hmmm good points...

[Gooey]

Ya sorry meant to say that I was looking for a multi piece rod for hiking and fishing the chehalis...I have yet to see any multi piece 9 foot+ bait or CP rods so I built my own from the only suitable blank I could find...a fly blank.