very nice rods. i have the Xi 2 6 weight and 8 weight. no salmon here but use the 6 for large bass and the 8 on the coast for redfish. i love them both. with the Xi2 on sale its a steal in my book. i know there are people that think its crazy to spend that for a rod but i have never regretted it and i am on a tight budget. i have yet to find a fish that i could not turn with that rod. i wish i could tell you more... btw i have rods priced from 75.00 on up so it was not bought for the name.