Forgot to address your rod question. A GL3 in 9.9 for 8wt is a fine stick for the fishing you mention. I have found that the older/ slower rods perform a lot better with any type of sink tip line that you might use than the latest high speed tapers offered by Sage, Loomis etc. The new rods can throw a floating line like no tommorrow but are to fast for the sink tips. My standard old trusty 9.6 Powell 8-9 wt Coho always winds up in my hands when its serious steelhead time. Its an older rod with the IM6 graphite blank.