This is good advice and also lends itself appreciating quality at a later date when compared to a stiff combo outfit with level line, etc. My first fish was caught on a hand line peering over a dock. I was hooked and started a lifetime of learning and aquiring equipment. Either at the bench or on the water, there is nothing that beats practice. Even with a simple vice and limited materials or a hand me down glass rod and a single action reel, fish, fish, fish. Way to go Sarge!