I reckon that most anglers in their formative years would have started out with a garden cane, a bent pin, some cotton and a couple of matchsticks.
Six foot long garden canes were the perfect job for my local pond when after sticklebacks.
I remember those days Mick, back in the early sixties I used to splash in a small pond at the back of Aston park lily pond just through the trees only about five yards from the lily. Stickle backs on tiny bits of bread.
Thanks for jogging my memory, Mick.
The oldest rod I have left since my clearout is a Shimano power loop from the mid-eighties.
My clear out as totally failed during these lockdowns not being able to fish through shielding I've spent far more than my share on rods, base layers, reels, a chair, new thermal waterproof suit, new boots and more sundries than the local shop. It's a sort of detox from lack of fishing.
PS the small pond is no longer there, it was overgrown in the seventies, I told a friend about it he didn't believe it when we went to look compounded his disbelief. I know it was there it's where I started this crazy art.