I just spent the last 5 days fishing in Talkeetna, Alaska for Kings. We fished the main Talkeetna River and clear creek. The fishing was great, but two of us broke our 10 wt Rods. I was using a Sage FLI series rod that broke on the hook set(still land the fish by the way) and my friend broke his while trying to bring the fish to the bank. I am looking for advice on your 12 wt rods or do you manufacture anything higher than that? Can they handle big 20 to 50 lb wild kings. We face swift current, beaver dams, big rocks and bank fishing only. So at times you need to be able to muscle the fish. Also, if you have any advice on a reel it would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks,
Channing


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Lamiglas I think still has a few of the 4 piece CSF graphite composite 12 weights around. Originally designed for heavy duty saltwater use on tarpon, sailfish, etc. Looks like the best place to get a CSF blank is Mudhole Tackle. Todd Vivian down there is a great knowledge base for Lamiglas blanks and rods.
Design criteria for fly rods vs say a salmon spin or casting rod are a bit different, Due to the way they're built and some to do with what the customer expects when he picks up the rod and shakes it. For instance grabbing the blank above the grip to get a bit more leverage is a no-no with a fly blank as the placing and thickness of the graphite to make the blanks nice and light makes them tender above the grip and they'll hinge over and break just above your hand. Same will happen using them to beach a salmon, they just aren't built for that.
Salmon rods due to the longer grip and design differences have much more graphite and power to keep them from folding under the same or worse abuse. Saltwater designed fly blanks are a bit more hardy down low also as they are really used much more like a conventional rod and some even have a grip further up the blank to grab onto and give a bit more stout and comfortable pull on a big fish.
I've seen many hotshot and conventional salmon blanks also used as fly blanks on big saltwater fish and big salmon,but your restricted to mostly 1 or 2 piece blanks.
I have a size 4 Lamsom Waterworks Litespeed and no fish I've yet encountered impresses that reel. The big higher end Pfleuger fly reels are an excellent choice and a great value.
No one knows as much as all of us.