Religion, I would like to think that “Religion” is a very serious word. The choice of using this word religion, is not to be taken in the religious context. It is being used to convey not only the seriousness of the subject, but the fact that you can count on it, a word that coveys trust and a solid belief in the subject that we are relating it too. We are putting the faithful single handed fly rod fishers to the side and are concentrating this article to those devilish two handed spey worshipers. Many guests, fishing these RRL weeks of big fish encounters, find themselves under gunned. As much as we preach hooks, leaders, reels and rods it is a difficult task to make these guests true believers! A few take right to this Rod Religion, but far too many must learn from their sinful ways losing their Atlantic salmon of a lifetime. Well, that’s enough from the pulpit, let’s do the rest of this sermon from the canoe. Fishing these weeks of massive flows in the Restigouche with the combination of her large salmon, is all the evil a rod could ask for. In these conditions a salmon can easily get too far from you and with all that line out he can take full advantage of the predicament you have put yourself in. The best you can do is hang on, let the fish have its way and hope for the best. Rods of nine and ten weights with lengths from 12 to fifteen feet are in order. Rods of this two hand design give you a fighting chance with these magnificent salmon. They allow you to apply some pressure on the salmon with a strong butt,lots of backbone ad a rod tip that buffers your leader keeping you in the fight! A soft, short rod that folds right over like a wet noodle is useless and you might as well be fishing a drop line. So when your time comes and one of these very large Restigouche Atlantic’s decides to test your faith, don’t find yourself stuck in salmon purgatory committing the sin of fishing under gunned!