Fly Rods: Temple Fork Outfitters (Lefty Kreh Series)is the Best Bang for the Buck without question! Are there cheaper rods? Yes...Are there more expensive rods? Yes... But there are no better Fly Rods for the dollar than the TFO Lefty Kreh Professional Series period! I dare anyone to find one. You can get them for $149 at regular retail price. They have a"Life-Time Warranty" that states they will either fix or replace your rod if you break it... your fault... anybody’s fault... They stand by it. Iknow from experience. The rod has a nice strong backbone with the correct flex in the tip required for tight loops when casting.
The rod weight you choose depends on the species you are targeting. I would not go any stiffer than a 5 weight for bluegill and 4 weight would be my preference if I were to only fish for blue gill or crappie (would be more fun). I chose the 5 weight only because I fish for trout, blue gill and small bass. (5# is a little light for setting the hook on a monster largemouth though, but it is a good all-around rod weight.)

Reel: The fly reel isn't as important in this kind of fishing because its job is to hold the line. You are not reeling in the fish onthe reel, you are pulling the line in... Hobbs Creek @ BPS is a good mid-price range reel that will work fine with the TFO rod.

Once you have used the TFO rod, you don't want to go back using anything else.There is a huge difference in performance and feel with this rod. And if you were wondering, I am NOT associated with TFO, Lefty Kreh, or anyone who sells 'em. I am just a satisfied customer that is glad someone took the time to educate me years ago.

Good Luck which ever direction you choose... You never get tired when you got atug on the line!