Eric Joyce Westphal should have some insight into this as I believe she is a dealer for Redington rods.
An observation about the Redington Wayfarer that I bought is that although its a 7wt, in my opinion, it doesn't have the backbone of my G Loomis GL3 7wt. Its still a very nice rod -- and because it breaks down into 5 pieces, its a great travel rod -- but I would say its more like a 6 wt than a 7 wt. Its also a slower action rod than my G Loomis. These aren't neccesarily negative factors about the rod -- what kind of action you want is a personal preference -- but they are my observations. Based on these observations -- I think a 9 wt would be fine for your purposes -- I would also consider a longer rod -- maybe 9'6" -- to make mending easier. I do most of my fishing for salmon, steelhead and pike with an 8 wt 9'6" St Croix Legend Ultra. A 9 wt is certainly more than enough for pike and most salmon -- you could even get away an 8 wt. However, if you're going to be doing any fishing for king salmon or steelhead -- you should get the 9. IMHO. BTW -- if anyone is interested in a like new Redington Wayfarer 7 wt (only used on one trip) with warranty card -- contact me off list. I need to purchase a longer rod. Ken MacGillivray Coquitlam BC
