I got to agree with TH in that I'd rather have 1 great rod and reel combo then 2 that I really couldn't count on. My personal favorite all around rod is the Lamiglas T-1324. A nice 9' medium action rod with a nice sensitive tip and a solid butt to handle a big fish....should be ablr to find it for about $125 somewhere. The Ambassadeurs are a great real, can't go wrong there, I also like the new Quantum Iron series as well as the 1311. Good Luck.