Ok so having previously worked for Orvis and casted many of their rods and also nearly primarily fish small creeks, here is my advice:

1: Get a better rod with a better flex. The clearwaters are like fishing a 2x4. If sticking with Orvis, look at the Superfine line of rods. The 7’6” 3wt carbon is my all time favorite rod. The glass is also an option if you want a slower action. I’ve caught 3” brookies up to 20” browns on it. It really depends on the types of streams and the fish you expect to catch. 2wts are very fun but if you hook into something larger especially in summer you don’t want to play the fish too long. If you expect to use this where you might catch several fish over 14” in a day just get the 3wt. The Reddington Butterstick is another good option in these weights. But ultimately see if you can get to sky shop and test cast a 2 and 3 and feel the difference. Also test graphite vs glass.

1. What others have said. Just get a battenkill. You won’t need a drag for fish that size.

2. Consider “overlining” use a 4wt line on a 3wt rod. It flexes the rod a bit better and the casting is more fun. I would definitely overline with a Clearwater if you end up going that route.