dcrz, You are used to driftrods, drift rods have handles that are up to 24" long, while single handed fly rod handles are normally about 10". A 9' fly rod might sound short, but remember you will be holding the rod at a much lower spot than you would on a drift rod. Also, a longer fly rod doesn't help in the wind, when trying to cast into the wind you want the loop as tight and low as possible, remember fly lines have a much larger diameter than mono and they tend to get blown around in the wind. When was the last time you cast a piece of lead and have it land back in your face because of wind? Well this can easily can happen with a fly line. There is a reason while all the saltwater rods are 9' or even shorter. As far as using light tippetts, the tip on most five weights is soft enough to handle 6x(3lb) easily, unless you give the fish a "Marlin Set".

Goodluck

Salmontackler