Yeah, my 8wt 9' has a fighting butt. I can do single spey casts with it. Steelhead taper line. Like fitchy said- longer casts than you need (70 feeT plus).
If I were you I'd try a fast action 8 wt with a fighting butt. Perfect tool for up there.
The other question noone has brought up (and this isn't a negative question)- How are your casting skills?

ORIGINAL: fichy

I love my 11' 7 wt. It 's a single hander with a fighting butt, but has no long foregrip or butt extension.  It will single hand spey 70-80 feet without even thinking about it with a steelhead taper. . But most of the time , I use it  to nymph with and throw mends and control the line.  It protects 6 lb. tippet, but will put the wood to fish when in crowds and I'm using 3x . I've fished 2 handers and liked them for big rivers, but like smaller , lighter rods better. I'd like to find one similar in an 8 or 9 for sharks, but I think I'll have to stick with a 9'. Do people chuck and duck for salmon, or is it a waste of time, since they are higher in the water column most of the time?  I won't use it, unless it's near or below zero and I'm having a really bad day.    It is ridiculously effective. So is Euopean nymphing which is very similar.

Charlie

hey charlie, the meds wore off so i can give it a shot at a reply now..
chez nymphing is very effective but as you know we are limited to using only 1 fly on the sr..
you are also correct that chuck & duck is highly effective in the times you describe. a trout is not going to move very far when water temps are in the mid>low 30's. Got nothing against it at all except in the fly zones. Usually at those times I just switch to a spin rod and basically bottom bounce anyway,even with a fly..
but thats not what you asked..

C&D is a total waste of time for salmon.. you may have seen pic's of the flies I use for them, BIG & UGLY .. purpose here is a reaction strike from aggressive fish or trying to make them so... out in the lake they are killing machines and that instinct is never totally removed even after they stop feeding and move into the river..

just sitting around laid up is already driving me crazy.. sept cant come soon enough now..

Dont push it Tuna- -the older ya get the longer it takes-gotta be patient.

Dude the boredom is a killer.
Never been much of a watcher and now suddenly there is no other option.

Don't put your healing back by overdoing it too soon.

Tuna, you should take it easy man. Its not worth a permanent conditon as a result.

For c and d; i effectively catch salmon with it in fast runs as they sometimes hug the bottom in this water. But I still keep a fly fishing touch to the cast and the presentation....

Tuna, when you say big flies, how big in inches? (I know- that's what she said)

Called my surgeon today. Must be on vacation. Can't get in for a follow up till Aug. 10th. I hope to schedule the deal just after our outing if I can hold out. Hurting pretty bad here too.

Got it retired. Do what you gotta do. Get somewhere you can try some stuff out.

on average just under 3".. the bunnies are about 3 1/4"
if i use marabou on the tails of comets I tend to keep them on the long side of 3, if just krystal flash then just under 3..
and the bead chain eyes are usually my only weight.. these are not c&d flies by any means and basically all I use for salmon.. think I have caught 1 or 2 in my days

your right slayer, there are many ways to skin a salmon.. once more trout start showing I"ll throw an egg pattern and have caught a fair share of sharks on them too.. I just target the salmon with the big uglies early on..
another method for sharks is when they are starting to spawn to throw a crayfish pattern at them.. they don't like things messin with their redds.. so skin away any way you like nothing is in stone ..

trying to sleep last night was a ,as you said..b!tch.. time for relief meds..

I commonly tie a snell knot on turned eye egg hook. I then wad a bunch of glo bug yarn and pull the knot tight with the yarn between the hook and the knot. Being that I fold the yarn and leave a tail; when wet; itpulsates in the water and tapers back and mostly covers the hook completely. They work great and trout will slam them as well. It beats tying a ton of flies as you make it on the spot. Just a few different colors in your pouch does the trick;although, it seems as if anything bright does the trick. I'll try to dig up some gear if I can to show you guys through a picture what im talking about, but I think most of my stuff is up at my place.

Btw...nice flies tuna. I'll have to fi.d some time to tie up a few of all of those so I can try to catch them like you do in your preffered spots on the 18th (as you suggested)

ORIGINAL: hot tuna

on average just under 3".. the bunnies are about 3 1/4"
if i use marabou on the tails of comets I tend to keep them on the long side of 3, if just krystal flash then just under 3..
and the bead chain eyes are usually my only weight.. these are not c&d flies by any means and basically all I use for salmon.. think I have caught 1 or 2 in my days

What hook are you using there? I tie up a  bunch of bunny leaches in olive and black for steel out here in erie.

ORIGINAL: cbeagler

ORIGINAL: hot tuna

on average just under 3".. the bunnies are about 3 1/4"
if i use marabou on the tails of comets I tend to keep them on the long side of 3, if just krystal flash then just under 3..
and the bead chain eyes are usually my only weight.. these are not c&d flies by any means and basically all I use for salmon.. think I have caught 1 or 2 in my days

What hook are you using there? I tie up a  bunch of bunny leaches in olive and black for steel out here in erie.

Hey cb; mustad makes a great salmon hook that works great for traditional wets, leaches, and larger nymphs. They are black and have a turned eye as well. Sorry; no model #

ORIGINAL: hot tuna

Nice fly HT.

Do you think it makes a difference whether or not you use chain-link -vs- round bead or cone bead?

or is just part of your "advanced artistic rendering abilities" intended to add variety to your fly arsenal?

I never bothered painting or sticking eyes on flies either - especially when using them in moving waters, I don't think the fish have enough time to get that good a look at their quarry and if the silloutte is close enough - game on. (just my opinion)..

ORIGINAL: hot tuna

db i know exactly what your talking about.. it's called a yarn fly.. works better if you snell the hook about a foot up on the line with your bank sinker tied to the bottom.. just kiddin...

cbeagler;
for salmon the hooks are mustad 36890 size#4 salmon fly hook.
for steelhead i use a mustad 3906b again size#4

Hey tuna, I know guys who rig like that in oswego and nail the crap out of em...

I figrued that was a mustad hook

ORIGINAL: dimebrite

ORIGINAL: hot tuna

db i know exactly what your talking about.. it's called a yarn fly.. works better if you snell the hook about a foot up on the line with your bank sinker tied to the bottom.. just kiddin...

cbeagler;
for salmon the hooks are mustad 36890 size#4 salmon fly hook.
for steelhead i use a mustad 3906b again size#4

Hey tuna, I know guys who rig like that in oswego and nail the crap out of em...

I figrued that was a mustad hook

you mean snag the crap outta them.. lol

Years ago when I still ventured to the DSR 3 of us were fishing the tail end of the Joss hole during a good run of Salmon.We were using Jensen eggs (chartruse) on a size 10 egg hook with our fly rods,very little weight for a nice smooth drift.We were into fish all day,many times triples,dawn to dusk.There were many others fishing with surf rods,heavy line and weight,no natural drift.They were not catching near what we were but just kept doing what they were doing.So Slayer you are correct,you don't need flys down there :)