First mistakes.

So to get back into fishing, I bought 2 complete sets. I bought a telescopic float set, and a telescopic spinner set. Both were cheap, and I bought them with the intention of just going back into fishing, and getting a line wet.

Big mistake.

Both arrived on the same day, and at first I was excited. The reels looked ok, and one of the sets came with a landing net which I quite liked at the time.
First issue though, was the 12 foot float rod. I wasn't expecting excellence in a telescopic rod, but this did not fill me with confidence. For a start, it only had 5 rings. At that point I realised that I would never use this rod. And it is still in my spare room gathering dust in the corner.
The spinning rod gave me more confidence. It too had only 5 rings, but at only 6 foot long that was ample. And playing with it I realised it was quite flexible and seemed to be quite good. However, I have only ever used this rod for winding spools. The other stuff that came with the kits were of a decent quality for the money I had laid out. (£30 for both sets)

It was at this point that I realised I really needed a game plan of what I needed, and how much I was willing to spend getting it. (everything has been bought with money earned from doing overtime. An adage I live with is basic wage pays the bills. Overtime buys the toys)