I've got an 11' in #7 and #9. Maybe we can hook up on the water one day and you can try one out. Been the least amount of outtings for me ever since I've been fishing the area.... But I definitely need to get a good steelhead fix soon!

For kings, I use an Orvis demo reel i bought with 3 spare spools for 75 bucks in '98. I've landed  kings, steel and stripers, blues, and  albies with it. Actual tonnage. Guaranteed more than one of your rigs will ever think of seeing. Probably everything you have put together. I own lots of great rods and reels, but thinking they're the only choice is foolish. They were my gift to myself (and some were really special gifts from Nancy) for paying off my mortgage early and making sure our daughter  left college debt free. Lots and lots of guys using Lamson Konics that you can get on sale for  way under 2 bills. Conical ramp drags withstand chrome runs with ease. I still have my first Pfleuger Sal-Trout 1598 that's now 47 years old. Still catches fish- I mowed a lawn for it.
Your advice is best served up on the end of that probe 2b described.

Hey---Got a 30 year old Ugly Stick 10 wt  fly rod from my snagging days for sale-- its a very very valuable antique with a real history behind it= will sell for about $1500 bucks complete with photos of Kings with rip marks and a hand written certificate of authenticity. ( the reel is extra)

chartist1
  You're still likely to be at $1000 all in but you'll have a rig for a life time.

 
 
Like the guy who has the $1200 set of irons and shoots 120..

My reel is a Cortland magnum.
Got it in the early 90s when I was part time shop ratting and selling flies threw the shop.
With the discount I think it cost 59 bucks.
Still kickin 
Ain't pretty and makes noises it didn't use to make but still my go to reel til it finally seizes up.
 

I saw Fat Nancy's has a end of the year clearance sale on white tuna rods you also get 100 pack of 1/0 books, 5 bags of assorted estaz, one of the women on waders 2015 calendars and last but not least a free haircut (will cost you 10.00 if they need to use a bowl though).All for the price of 49.99 unless your from Ohio then it's 999.99

AS the rod is what is used to cast, if the reel is more important, that is an outright admission that there is no casting or finesse, just chuck the weight and get that 1/0 estatz down there.  RG beat me to the ugly stick, but that has been the standard single hook snagger tool for ever on the LO tribs, 8-10 weight Ugly stick with a Martin 72 automatic, cut your line expense by just using 30 lb stren.  When they graduated to pro-lifter, the lifters all went with the Fin Nor multiplier, that gold color stood out from a long distance.
 
L13 

my redfly2, ebay teton tioga reel and rio line that i last used, but have sold, cost a whopping 225 or 275 bucks.  those steelhead didn't seem to know the difference.  but then again, i wasn't trying to look like a simms catalog model or trying to impress my neighbors in the water.  i just wanted to fish and enjoy the day.

Last year, a guy tried fishing the LFZ near the bridge with a fly outfit, except he didn't have a fly line attached.  It looked like 30lb stren...He got promptly chased out by the guys already in the spot and looking for any reason to make him go away.

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