Saltamontes-
Where will you be doing most of your SW fishing? And aside from some bonefish down the road, what else will you be chasing?
Since you’re from Alberta, you might also think of an 8 weight outfit as a great choice for steelhead, atlantic, coho and other smaller salmon, lakers, bull trout and arctic char, largemouth and small mouth bass, walleye and even pike if it helps justify the purchase--- and if any of those are in your stomping grounds or within range of other trips you might be taking.
I've been at this a while but I haven’t heard of Wild Water Fly Rods before. They may be great, but you might want to also ask around to see what experience others have had with them. Also at least ask about the action of the rod before you buy. Many folks prefer fast action rods in salt. Faster rods are generally easier to up line, (using a 9 weight line on an 8 weight rod) and because they have a stiffer butt, can be more effective turning fish or lifting fish from deep water than rods with slower actions. Ideally you should spend some time casting different rods to find one that whispers in your ear.
You might want to expand your search to include rods from Redington, TFO, and Echo in local fly shops and actually get your hands on them out back of the shop to throw them a little. These are familiar names with tons of bang for the buck. Even most of the “house” rods from LL Bean and Cabelas are pretty decent and come with a lifetime guarantee--- an important consideration especially in SW. Another rod that has received very good reviews from folks here in the Northeast is Colton (some Colton rods including a brand new 8 weight are on ebay at roughly half price at 110ish ). There are many excellent rods at around 100 bucks or a bit more. (Since you’ll be using it on trips, get a four piece so you can carry it on as overhead luggage). And used rods for approximately ? off their new price can be a great deal.
As for reels most if not all reels made for an 8 weight these days are SW proof. Look for one with a smooth adjustable disc drag, line capacity 200 yds of 20 lb Dacron plus a weight forward fly line, the ability to change spools with out unscrewing anything ( no loose parts). For many saltwater fish like striped bass, bluefish, redfish, specs/weakfish, snook etc you don’t need a super duper reel. For some fish you might chase with an 8 weight like permit, small tunoids (false albacore and bonito etc), especially if you’ll be doing a lot of it, a more substantial reel would be a better investment. Big bonefish on the flats will also test your tackle. If it’s going to be an occasional thing down the road, then don’t worry about it. If there’s a chance you’ll be using your 8 to chase steelhead then I would get a reel designed for them, it should be fine in SW. I would probably go with something like a Lamson Konic for a “budget” Steelhead/SW reel but I’m sure there are many other good choices too. Hopefully other folks will weigh in.
Also be aware that SW flylines are specially formulated for either the tropics or for “cold water”. Tropic lines can get wiry like a slinky in cold water, and coatings on cold water fly lines can turn gummy in the heat of the tropics.
Good luck,
mark
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