Great combo with a cool graphic. I threw some locally sold 8lb monofilament on and caught 6 fish in 3 hours. I was teaching a friend who's new to fishing and we didn't stay at the spot all day, so I'm excited for next time I go on my own. Side note: I think the reel only take 8lb mono (or whatever equivalent).

The reel is surprisingly good and has zero backwards rotation. It doesn't REALLY make a difference, but there's no reverse feature which I find useful. The top cap to adjust the drag is a complete POS. Don't even imagine touching it with anything other than finger tips. I wouldn't be surprised if a finger nail scratched or gouged it. I really don't know what happened with the piece in particular, it's a pretty solid reel otherwise.

I've been fishing over 25 years pretty passionately and I can't justify anything but an ugly stick. Everytime I think of 'upgrading', I remember I pull more fish out of the water than anyone else I know. Definitely grab a 50th anniversary while you can. My 30th anniversary is still perfectly fishable about 20 years later. These new rods feel a little stronger, but the only thing I've lost a rod to is a car door (many times).