jeff,

st. croix makes outstanding fly rods, you won't be disappointed. if you are still looking for a rod though, look at the temple fork outfitters (TFO) rods. after casting the lefty kreh series at the show, i won't be buying anything else for the saltwater fishing i do.

as for reels under $100... you might look at the teton tioga reels (they might be a bit higher than $100 but not a whole lot). of course, you could just buy some cheap reels and replace them more often (the reality is that expensive drags are not necessary for coho or cutthroat).

i'd suggest checking out some local fly shops (go to more than one) and actually handle the rods and reels you're interested in. i really believe that one should cast the rod before buying no matter what. i can only tell you the rods i like... but we likely cast differently and you might hate the rods i like. cast the rods you are interested in and pick the one that feels best.

good luck,

chris