I bought this on a whim this spring because i've always wanted to try fly fishing but was overwhelmed with all of the confusing terminology and super expensive gear. So when I saw this at the store I figured what the heck, it's only $30, If I don't like it, it's no big deal. It took me a good two days to get the casting down (Not as easy as it looks on TV, but with practice it's not that hard to get down) So I finally took it to the river with some Bett's panfish flies (Pop n' hot, Bream getter) and gave it a try. the first fish I caught that day was a fat little 12-1/2" Largemouth (And let me tell you, on a fly rod you're in for a great fight even with small bass.) I also caught a couple 7-9" Redbreasts that day. So that goes to show you, you don't need a $500 rod and reel and years of experience to go out and catch fish on fly gear. In short, if you're interested in fly fishing but you don't want to pay for a high end setup, This will serve you pretty well.