For years I fished a Sage fast 6wt RPL and used a Loomis 10 GL 3 for when I was chunking heavy flies in the wind or chasing medium Tarpon. I recently bought an 8wt and love it. Are you mostly after seatrout/snook/bass or are you looking to chase tarpon or hit the surf? That will determine a lot of it. I like the light weight stuff, but a six for the mangroves will be pricy. Still, its my preffered rod. A ten is always enough rod unless you're looking at bonita or over forty pound tarpon. An eight weight is a good compromise, but for small jacks, mangroves and snapper and bass its a bit much. Still, I think its the best overall choice for a one rod solution. It will throw large flies, muscle a snook out of the groves, fight reasonable wind and still make three pound fish fun. Though not as much fun as a fast six, but that six limits your fly selection too. Forget size 2 deep clousers and seaducers. The eight will throw both. I gueßs the question is, what's your budget, and what do you intend to do the most of?
How about $150 for a like new Orvis clearwater mid flex 2 pc nine foot eight weight with a 7/8 NIB Okuma reel, two lines and backing and a tube for $150 TYD? Down side is the reel though great, only holds seventy yds of twenty pound dacron, but I've got 115 of thirty pound braid on it. Its plenty for bass, snook and seatrout, not so much for tarpon. There you'll want around 200 yds capacity.
There was no price difference when I went to the larger reel, either.For what you are wanting to spend, you should be able to find a good combo outfit. Orvis has their new Encounter series as well as their Clearwater combo that would fit into your budget. And a new rod comes with a warranty. Most warranties are original owner only.
YEP.If you go with the 8wt and the Okuma reel that fq13 mentions, I'd go up a size. I use an 8/9 on my 8wt rod. I had a 7/8 and it just didn't hold enough backing for my purposes. Too much backing always is better than too little.
That Trout II isn't nearly enough reel. If you want Allen you want an Axis or Kraken. But the most important component is the rod. Spend your biggest money there and then divide the change. You'll catch 50 three pound fish for every fifty pounder, but only if you can can get the fly to them.