Hard to beat the BPS Float-N-Fly rods right now for $29.99 on sale. $36 to my door with shipping for an 8-footer..and they aint bad.

I'd suggest a bigger reel than a 1500 series though. I'd run at least a 2500 series Shimano...some prefer the 4000 series on the big water. (I use a 4000 series Shimano Sahara on my 10-foot rig, a 2500 series Shimano Sahara on my 8-foot rig.) You need that bigger spool for casting distance and keeping up with those big bruisers on Dale/Cumberland/Laurel, plus the bigger reels balance and feel better with those huge rods in my opinion.

But having said that, my first year out with the FNF I was using 1000 series Saharas and landed some bigguns. There's an art to it all, but you can make it a little too scientific if you're not careful...however you package it, you'll find the things you like and the things you don't once you land a few.