I was recently gifted 5 older rods and 8 reels, but have no clue how to fly fish. If you can help me figure out what I have, that would be much appreciated. I am hoping some of these will be beginner-friendly.

Thanks, in advance.

Not sure what beginner friendly means, but the weights on the rods need to be matched up with the line weights on the reels. Maybe not perfectly...some guys always overline their rods...use a heavier line than the rod. Looks like you might have more reels than rods...not uncommon either since fly lines have different sink rates depending on the the flies thrown, water conditions, etc., so swap out the reels to change. Some guys also label what line is on the reel under the reel seat or inside. Most relatively experienced fly fishers could sort through each pairing by doing some casting. Once rod and reel are matched, the weight of the rod determines the size of the fly you want to toss. So the smaller the line weight, the smaller the flies, and usually, the smaller the fish you target, so a 2 wt. is for panfish, a 4-5 wt for trout, and an 8wt for bass/salt, etc.

Thank you. So, you are saying matching line weight to the right rod is the key, not the model of reel?

Yes. Unless the rod and reel was bought as a combo with the right line on the reel, most folks buy rods, reels, and lines from different makers. There is a way to determine line weights by actually weighing them, but the quickest way is to tell if you have a good pairing is by casting. Reel makers use many different methods to help match-up with rods based on weight and line capacity, but the most important pairing is rod weight to line weight. The hardest thing to determine by just looking is line weight...there are no markings.

Looks like I have a lot to learn. Thanks

Seeing as you're in Denton, you should contact Shannon, who is texasflycaster, has an internet blog, and can probably advance your knowledge and skills, as well as help you pair up your rods, reels, and lines. He's in Denton, is a kayaker and flats skiff fisherman and he's active on this forum. IslandJim

Nice gift! They're older rods, but they'll work just fine. The Sage RPL and RPLB would both be good to learn with. I recommend starting with the 5 wt RPLB, the shorter length is easier for beginning casters.

From the photo, I can't tell which reel has the 5 wt line on it. So, I don't know which reel to use on which rod.

If you can get with an experienced fly fisher such as Shannon or Capt Mac (I think he is in Denton) , it should be pretty easy to sort out the equipment. I'm in Sherman if you want to head this way.

I'd say you have an excellent set of equipment to get started fly fishing.

You'll probably need to replace the leaders (mono-filliment just gets old) and you may need to replace some of the fly lines, but I would try them first.

Good luck and remember that fly fishing is not that complicated, we're just fishing!