I'm hoping to find one to put my hands on and try for myself, but thought I'd try to get at least a preliminary sense from someone as to the characteristics of this particular rod. I have the 9' 5 wt. and have been very pleased with the way it casts and fishes, moreso than any of the other TFO's I'd tried in past years and almost as much as my beloved BIIX's. As I contemplate replacing what I'm currently using in the lighter line weights, I have to recognize that my small stream fishing is never going to be the romanticized vision described in the catalogs of casting size 22 dry flys on windless days to rising fish in a mountainside trickle that seldom requires a cast of more than 15 feet, so I need something at least a little more versatile than the ultrasoft 3 wt. I'm using now. In typical "I want everything" fashion though, I don't want something so stiff as to forego all sensitivity, making it a complete bore to fight the typical smallish fish in these situations. In my view at least, the 9' 5 wt. version of this rod does a good job of providing that kind of balance, though I fish it with one of the half weight heavier lines to help achieve that. I'm wondering if others have found a similar versatility with the 8' 3 wt. Thanks for any help.