Bean's lifetime satisfaction guarantee is essentially unmatched in the outdoor gear industry. To the point it is probably taken advantage of at times. Not saying or implying that's what your buddy was doing as I don’t know the circumstances, but there really are people out there who think it’s reasonable to expect a pair of waders to last a lifetime, and buy a pair of Beans fully intending to cash in on a free pair every time they wear out. That's not right.
Anyway, back to the rod. I have a Bean Streamlight Ultra 6’11 4wt that I use for Brookie fishing. I paid about $100 for it, and it’s my favorite rod to fish with that I own FWIW. You’re clearly in need of a longer, heavier rod for what you’re looking to do though. I’d recommend the 6wt if you want to use it for Steel and normal Trout applications. A 6wt (not the ever-popular 5wt) is the most versatile rod for most PA fishing situations IMO. It’ll chuck decent sized streamers and still deliver fairly small dries with reasonable delicacy. If rod length is a concern when hiking through the woods, get a 4 piece rod. You can break it down to two or 4 sections that way when walking to/from the stream.
I have a buddy who owns a Streamlight Ultra reel, and for $90 or so it's a very nice bar stock reel at a very good price. Haven't bought one yet, but I will be purchasing one prior to next Spring to pair with my rod I fish most of the big Spring time hatches with.
