Oh yes, meant to add. While I think it's best to have someone instruct you on the basics of casting, there are two books I found very helpful. "Fly fishing Equipment & Techniques" by Jeanot Ruel, and "The Orvis Fly-Fishing Guide" by Tom Rosenbauer. Also, to help with the casting, someone gave me a video produced by Scientific Angler that went through the basics. I found that helpful.