Northwest Fishing Reports

Hey,
I'm looking into a an 8wt rod a reel with a budget( less than 300 for rod and reel) in mind. I current have a 6wt and it works well for trout. Now, I want to get into the salmon/steelhead fly fishing. I'm just looking for some feedback on experiences with either the Echo brand or Allen brand. There are probably more brands out there that are quality and priced right but those two seem to have a good reputation.
look forward to your feedback

Never fished an Allen, but Echo's are pretty good. I've only casted a one hander. 300 is going to limit your options though. Go with a good rod, that'll get your gear out there. For salmon and steelhead, sooner rather than later, you're going to find yourself wanting a two handed rod. The echo classic spey retails for 239. I like TFO rods, their deer creek rods are pretty sweet, but a little more.

Of course you're going to need a new line, sink tips and reel no matter what you go with. Maybe a switch rod that can run both kinds of casts would be better, but honestly, the rivers around hear are literally begging for a two handed rod. If you must, you can nymph ten times easier with a spey rod too. Double hauling across the skykomish makes anyones arm sore, especially chucking some of the flies that we use for winter fish.

I purchased an Echo 3 wt. 2 years ago. It is my favorite rod. That being said, obviously nothing like an 8 wt.
It is well made, and responsive.
It should be mentioned that i went into my usual fly shop with the intent if buying an expensive Winston rod. The dudes in the shop actually guided me away from the twice as expensive Winston, and encouraged me into the Echo.
I have never fished a Switch rod, but i would agree with Nate that it might be an appropriate thought to have the versatality of going between 1 and 2 handed casting, depending in the size of the river your'e on.

Thanks Quad and Nate for the feedback. I tend to evaluate any future product I might purchase to the extreme.

I stopped by Creekside Angling in Issaquah to look around and do some Intel. Great guys that I could have chatted with all day but they have a business to run and I have Christmas light to hang up… They seemed positive about the rep and quality of Echo. They did promote the Lamson Guru( American made which is a plus for me)
So, I think I'll keep my options open for now. there is also a FF show in Lynnwood on Feb 13-14 next year so there might be some good deals at the show.
thanks again!!

My go to rig for silvers off KP beaches is an Allen Alpha III mounted on an 8 wt. TFO BVK. The Allen has an awesome drag and the medium/fast BVK works well with my casting style. I know the Echo rods are pretty popular although I don't own any and I'm a fan of the Lamson reels. I have an original Konic (not the Konic II) on my 6 wt. Redington Predator that I use for SRC. The only thing I don't like about the Lamson is the difficulty in popping off the spool.

I would strongly recommend a Mystic Reeper rod. I have one and love it. Full lifetime warrantee. It is a no questions asked warrantee to.