FNP, I ended up going with the Trion and sadly haven't been able to subject it to a range of proper testing conditions just yet. In about half a dozen trips out, I have only landed one small silver and a few dollies. To me it seems pretty well made and it fits my rod setup perfectly with regard to weight and balance. For a 5-6 weight reel it seems slightly smaller than similar models. My main interest is how the drag will do with a larger fish. I can't help but think it will be a bit light for an 8+ lb fish with some life in it. Then again this is purely an assumption as I haven't touched one yet on this rig.

I will be bringing it along to the OP for 5-6 day stint after christmas and hope to find a steelie that will help outline the limitations a little better.

Coley