I fish a 10wt. Sage RPLX and feel that it is the best rod for the surf. I rig it with a teeny 350 and am all set. There are alot of good medium priced reels out there such as Lamson, Ross, and Scientific Anglers. Call Eldridge flyshop in CapeNedic Maine and see if they have any RPLX left. U can find them for 40% off list. Other wise go to www.flyshop.com and look through the classified and auctions as there are alot of good deals on used tackle.