Not talking about brands here. Just qualities I want to see in a trout fishing outfit.
I use an ultra-light to a light fast action rod. Must be super thin and have skinny light guides. It's important that when you whip the rod it slices the air with almost no friction and doesn't bounce around...
What side of the river doesn't really matter to me, Just as long as I have a line in the water.
Of course, I would still look for the prime spots, where I have the highest chance of catching a fish.