A couple other comments regarding length. As TH mentioned, the added length of a 10 + foot rod will diminish its feel. However, if you use braided line (no stretch), this will increase your feel and more than make up for the difference. One added benefit of the longer rod I'm not sure anyone has mentioned is hook setting. A 10.5 moves a lot more line than a 9.5. Add the braided line and you can set the hook reliably > 150 feet! Some will say you never fish that far out, but with a 10.5 foot rod, you can cast farther, mend line farther and catch fish farther out. My most productive winter steelhead hole is a break about 100 feet out from the nearest wadable spot on a certain Willamette Valley river. I've rarely seen anyone else fish that water unless they have a boat, but I,ve hooked probably 50 steelhead there. I cannot fish it effectively with my 8.5 footer. I think on large rivers, the 10.5 is a great length.
The main drawbacks to me are weight and casting on brushy streams. If I fish a small stream, I take my 8.5 or fly fish.