Asked to build some fly rods for the Kenai River in Alaska, Advice please on build, they are leaving it up to me. I have never been lucky enough.

Thank you in advance

What's your budget, kings, or coho? Fished a 10 wt. Pac Bay Quickline last year for a while, it gets it done without breaking the bank.

Fishing for, trout or Salmon? If Salmon which species?

I haven't been yet but am going in a few weeks, from everything I've read the Kenai needs a little bigger gear than the others, but there's even a difference in upper and lower Kenai. Lower is where the strongest kings will be, again from what I've been reading though!
I'm taking baitcasters and a 9wt. I just scored a 12wt so if it's here in time I may take it too to say I did

Speaking if, I'm headed to the shop now to work on getting my rods built lol, I seem to do my best work at the last minute

in Most cases fly rods are for sockeye salmon [ reds] 5 to 14 lbs close to shore ,& trout , Kings are closed this year so far ,

William Sidney
AK

Fly rods are not only for Sockeye! They are especially fine for Coho and Sockeye, and if the right weight is used OK for Kings. I have fished them all with fly rods in both Alaska and British Columbia.

The size of the fish targeted determines the correct rod weight.

I was gave a price range of 4-500 each and now asking for 8wt. problem is they want me to do a turn key set up, reel, line ext.

He did not say, I am waiting on a little more info about that although he asked for a 8wt now.

Bret I don't think that'd be enough budget for me to do it, granted I haven't finished my first rod just yet but I'm figuring a quality blank and seat will be in the 100-150 range without going too crazy, guides and grips could easily be 100, fly line & backing another 100 on the low end, that leaves $150 for your time /labor and a reel (at the $500 target).

My experience on the Kenai fishing for Sockeye, suggests it is pretty hard on your gear, and broken rods are very common. So if you are building for money and you would have to do your own warranty work, I would factor that in. It's different if you just build a rod for a friend for the cost of parts. But a $500 budget all in, doesn't sound like there would be much left for the builder. You unfortunately do need a decent reel with a very robust drag there due to the current.

You could take the path of just recommending gear to him. Recommend good well priced gear with a good warranty that's already made. St Croix Imperial SC4/S2 8 weights would work well, cost about $220 each and come with an excellent warranty. TFO rods would be another good choice, just as examples. You wouldn't make any money, but you wouldn't have any liability either.

One other idea to save a few $$ and still use good quality parts, is to use the St Croix fly rod handle kits. They are really decent and well priced.

Anyway, good luck. I'm heading back up there in 3 weeks hoping for a cooler full of sockeyes to bring home. Rod wise, we'll take a mix of 8 wts and 9 wts, and lots of spares.