The seven to nine-weights are where you begin to get into big flies and even bigger fish: mainly the anadromous freshwater species and smaller saltwater types. Anglers look to these muscular middle-weight rods to give them greater casting distance and enhanced fish fighting abilities. What's more, they help counter the capricious conditions often encountered in pursuit of such gamefish. Namely, sudden gusty winds. If you've spent the balance of your angling life casting a 5-weight, picking up a #9 can be a humbling event. Even a seasoned trout fisherman can crumble when faced with powering a 9-weight into the wind while sight casting to a tailing bonefish or attempting to launch a purple Freight Train across a rainy steelhead drift. That's why we've done everything possible to make these rods the lightest and most responsive in the business. Pick one up and you'll see: an 8-weight GLX feels more like a 6-weight. They're ridiculously easy to cast at any range, and far less fatiguing than any other rod out there, yet each is capable of enduring heavy loads, angry fish and big flies.