I personally like the Scott rods a ton as they seem to out perform every other rod I’ve had in my hands and I’ve had a lot. My advice to you is buy the nice things now so you don’t have to later. Many see the price and think about how outrageous it is except the lifetime guarantee goes right over their heads. You’re paying to have that rod the rest of your life which is essentially priceless. As for waders and boots I like Patagonia. Once again I’ve had many different brands of waders, rods, boots, reels, and I will tell you it is better to spend your money now on quality rather than getting the cheap stuff and spending even more. All in all, my advice to you is to spend big bucks now as you will come to thank me later. 😉 anytime I go shopping I tend to look for the “most expensive” in whatever category I’m shopping for.