Can you remember your first fishing rod and reel?

Mine was a 3 section cane rod with a greenhart top section,the reel was a base metal reel (Like a fy reel) with a clicker ratchet on it. (1961)
To cast any distance you had to pull a loop of line from between the eyes(rod rings) and release them when you made a cast.My maggot tin/box was aluminium.
First fish,a Perch.

a Milbro coarse rod of about 10 feet or maybe10 feet 6, orange in colour and an Intrepid Black Prince reel.
Wicker fishing creel, knotted mesh keepnet.

First fish I actually remember catching was a sea fish though, a flattie, hauled in over the harbour wall at Bridlington, I was not much more than a toddler and I couldn't actually see the sea, the flattie seemed enormous but I don't suppose it was.

I had dabbled earlier with a 3ft garden cane with aboutt 4ft of nylon on it.
16's eyed hook,and a dot of bread on it.
When the dot of bread went out of sight,you had a baby carp on it.
Mill lodge in Manchester (1954)Nylon line was like 'Golden thread' those days.

Mine was a friend of my Dad’s gave me an old rod I think looking back it was probably a sea rod all cane the tip was nearly as thick as my little finger. I went to the village shop that sold a bit of tackle and got a bakelite 4’’ centre pine reel some line, hooks and a float, I had no idea what I was doing the float was about the size of table tennis ball made of cork with a red top and a green underneath and a stick that went through the middle it looked great. I went home and dug some worms great big lob worms and cycled about 4 miles to a fishing pool that cost a shilling a day. Needless to say I spent all day sitting by the lake and not a thing. An old chap sat watching me all day and came over in the end and gave me a float and hook that was more in line with catching Roach and Perch and gave me a few tips. Moved on after that and got a split cane spinning rod that cost me £5 10s and a fixed spool reel had them for years. This was all back in about 1955.

Kirky's Dad wrote:

Mine was a friend of my Dad’s gave me an old rod I think looking back it was probably a sea rod all cane the tip was nearly as thick as my little finger. I went to the village shop that sold a bit of tackle and got a bakelite 4’’ centre pine reel some line, hooks and a float, I had no idea what I was doing the float was about the size of table tennis ball made of cork with a red top and a green underneath and a stick that went through the middle it looked great. I went home and dug some worms great big lob worms and cycled about 4 miles to a fishing pool that cost a shilling a day. Needless to say I spent all day sitting by the lake and not a thing. An old chap sat watching me all day and came over in the end and gave me a float and hook that was more in line with catching Roach and Perch and gave me a few tips. Moved on after that and got a split cane spinning rod that cost me £5 10s and a fixed spool reel had them for years. This was all back in about 1955.

Haha,happy days.When you catch that first fish,that's it,you are a fishing addict for life.