i went in to Trotac thinking to get the Berkeley Canadian specialist but they didn't have them in stock and I was so impressed with the feel of the Shimano Technium that that's what I came away with. Now for some testing...[8D]quote:I like Shimano rods. In particular the Convergence or the new Technium all 10.5 ft long. They have a lifetime warranty and the Technium with the TC4 construction is virtually impossible to break, yet it very light and responsive. These rods have sensitive tips and strong backs and are long enough to fish with 6-9 ft leaders.