Well said Neil. My first fly rod was a $9 fiberglass rod from Herters. It is a little heavy but it casts fine. I got it out the 6 months ago and lawn cast it and was suprised how well I could cast with it. When i started flyfishing the lines were the the 3 letter designations. These lines cast fine but they were not any where as slippery or didn't float as high or as long as modern lines. I tied my first leaders out of spinning mono. There may have been tapered fly leadrs then but if there was I was'nt a where of them.

The internet while not directly a part of flyfishing has greatly lowered the learning curve of someone getting started as this site attests to
.