I have an older Lightning Rod that's out of production. along with a Diawa Capricorn that is also out of production. It's the best i have ever had in my hands and it's a 2 piece rod. Pitches a 1/32 like most rods pitch a 1/16, and has enough backbone to make me happy. Like Pappy, I do everything but troll with it. A real pleasure in the hand.
The St Croix 66lf is a light fast action that I like the feel of. I put a reel out of the showcase on it, a President if I remember right, and it felt wonderful. A friend in TN has a 1 piece and a 2 piece and loves em both. About $100 more or less. Also very lightweight and the fatigue factor should be very low. It's worth a look while you're shopping.
Good luck finding what you're looking for. It's out there, just some real estate between you and it.
Creativity is just intelligence fooling around