My 8 wt goes everywhere I go. It does not sit. I love it too much. Big streamers, bass, anything in the salt, it likes them all.
A budget friendly reel? I just purchased a Redington Behemoth. Put one on my 5wt and it's a bit overkill on that, but it's a good big fish reel. $109 up to 7/8 or $129 for anything bigger.