Yak,

Todd's for real.

You've got a nice set up there for eastside WA trout and summer steel. Really more typical of a east coast or GL set up than a NW float set up, IMO. Sub 11gr floats generally don't cut it here on our roily NW waters. I prefer much heavier terminal tackle and a more powerful rod; 2 power min (6-10#) for steelhead or 3 power (8-12#) for either steelhead or salmon. You surely can't do better than a DeMarco for a reel, but I'd be running at least 10 or 12# mono mainline. Water's faster and fish here aren't so leader shy either, so I use 10# leader minimum; FC mainly for sinking effect. Although I'd be using mono leaders if I ran braid mainline, which I despise for CP. On our mid to high gradient systems there's not much call for a shot line, so I usually just run bulk shot with sliding float to make breakdown and transport easier.

I love to CP and have been doing it off and on for over 30 years. I've also acquired more CP equipment than I'll ever admit. Over time I've found myself leaning towards shorter stronger CP rods (9.5 - 13') and smaller reels (4-4.5") than most GL or east coasters would ever consider using. Although there is a lot to learn from these guys who have made float fishing an art form out there, I've found the BC influence and techniques to be far more applicable to our waters.

My go-to rods are old school custom Sage 2106LB, 3106LB, 3113LB or 3113MB with 4.5 Milner KF reels, but I also fish newer GLX 2 or 3 power rods with Kingpin reel for change of pace. Batson XST 1562 and Loomis STR with IS or Tournament reels have replaced my older 11'3 CP Lamis as boat rods. Choice of power and length generally depend on targeted fish, water conditions and whether I'm banking or boating. I'm not a fan of 3 pc rods, but the Batson XST 1562 is a great all-around choice for just about anything round these parts and would be a good counterpart to your 4-8 IMX.

Enjoy. CP is a gas.