I agree with Rich. a 5wt may be alittle too light. I fish the Deschutes in Or. for summer runs with a G.Loomis GL3 9'9" 7wt. The fish there are similar in size & all natives, so they put up a pretty good fight. It may be worth the investment. You can get into the same rod & a descent reel for about $300. After all one of the worst feelings there is is not being able to revive a beautiful native steelhead. Good luck.