Four piece rods are a lot easier than you might think...especially because I have yet to see a factory center pin rod that is even remotely appropriate for steelhead fishing around here. They're all way too light...and a 4-18, or 6-12, is way too light for winter steelhead. Might be able to get away with it for humpies or small river summer runs, but you want something bigger for winter runs.

Since no one makes a pin rod that's 12' long and rated for 8-15 or 8-17, your best option is to have one spun up out of an 8wt. spey blank...and as luck would have it there are plenty of four piece options out there in that range.

That's what I use, for what it's worth, and mine have caught a pretty good pile of fish.

Fish on...

Todd