Don Phillipson wrote:

Your library probably has one of Joe Brooks'
excellent all-round guides. You may find casting
easier with a longer rod, say 8 ft., and size 4 wt.
is best only for very small flies. Panfish and bass
take flies in the range 2 to 14, best cast on a 7wt.
outfit.

I agree that a beginner would be better served by a longer
fly rod, but a 7ft 4wt is a better choice for bluegill than
an 8ft 7wt. My favorite bluegill rods are 3wt and they'll
toss small poppers just fine even with a 3DT fly line. A
7wt fly rod is way too much fly rod to have fun with bluegill.

--
Ken Fortenberry