OK guys---Youngsters!!!
What was the first rod & reel you used?
Other than just sticks & strings I played with when I was a little kid, my first actual Fishing rod when I was about 5 years old, was about 9' long, and it was Bamboo.
The first reel I used was one of the Metal casting reels in a bucket my Dad had. There was no way anybody could cast with it. You had to pull it out from the Reel, by hand & throw it out as far as you could---Maybe about 8'. I think the line was cotton. You had to have either a Sinker or a Bobber on it, just so you could throw it far enough to get it in the water. This is probably why I never was very Picky about my Fishing equipment, later in life. I just look back at what I started with.
Bear