about fly fishing for bluegills: if you use a biggish fly, you'll have a much easier time releasing the fish. bluegill mouths are small and it's hard to get small hooks out if they swallow deeply. this assumes you're not keeping them to eat.

about a rod/reel combo: first, try the "wanted" section of this bulletin board. second, check out sponsors on this forum as well as L.L.Bean and Cabela's.

a guide once told me about a client whose own gear had been stolen showing up for a trip armed with a blister-pack put out by a company known for its fly lines. the pack had rod, reel, backing, line, and leader, and the gear in that pack turned out to be first rate! moral of the story: there is a lot of very decent equipment out there for not so much money because the firms that make them want you back when you're ready for the next step.