In 1967 I was 10 years old. For Christmas that year, I received a Zebco 33 reel, mounted on a 5 1/2 foot fiberglass rod. I think it was one of the best Christmas gifts I ever received. Before this, I was a cane pole fisherman.                      The rod broke many years ago, but I still have the reel. When I hold it, I can still remember waking up Christmas morning, and my dad handing me my new rod and reel. His words were," here you go junior, now you can learn to cast, and catch a bunch of fish".                   I've given fishing related gifts to folks now for years.                                                                          Did you ever receive a memorable fishing related gift for Christmas as a kid? 

Probably my most memorable gift as a kid was fishing related. I was probably 11 or 12, and just as obsessed with fishing as I am now over 20 years later. I had mentioned wanted to try fly-fishing a few times, so my parents got me an entire kit complete with a rod, reel, backing, main line, leader, tippet and a bunch of dry flies, streamers and nymphs. As well as a guide book that shower me how to rig everything up. It wasn’t long before I was practicing my casting in the snow and cold in the back yard. I still have that fly rod and still use it a couple times every year. 

Not that I didn’t purchase for myself.

Never as a kid. Most memorable gift was the year CD players came out…

I also got a Zebco 33 when I was tiny kid.  I never fished with it.  did some casting in the front yard.  

 

then I took it apart to see how it worked.    best gift ever.  it fueled my childlike wonder of the world, and I became an engineer.  hahahha..

@Darth-Baiter, I did something similar. Bought an abu baitcaster with all my change as a kid. Dropped it before I ever fished with it , had to take it apart and repair it. But I had to actually fish with it so I became a maintenance man instead of engineer 😂 😂 

Yes. My wife got me a Calcutta Conquest MD300 XGLH and couple years ago. Yes I was 40 something. I'm a grey bearded 250 lb kid and I'm not changing.