I would concur with what has alrady been said regarding the universal 9'- 5 wt. and reel selection. I mostly use my free hand to strip or slip line to stay on a hooked fish at that line weight. A 20# steelhead on an 8 wt. is a different matter.... I would also add that line selection relative to a given rod is very important. A fast 5 wt. combined with your casting/fishing style may favor either a 6 wt. double taper (DT) or a 5 wt weight forward (WF) taper. The suggestions for a used setup are sound and will leave you with remaining funds to try different lines as well. Welcome to the Dark Side and have fun learning.