Hi Wez,
I'd echo the advice to get some casting instruction - best investment by far when starting.
As for waters near Ely:
Rutland and Grafham are fantastic, but close at New Year and don't reopen until March. They also do a one day intro casting course for about £60, which is where I learned (and caught a 3lb rainbow that very day).
Nearer to Ely, there is Earith trout lakes (inbetween Ely and Huntingdon). I think it's open all year, though it has something of a mixed reptutation at the moment. Probably fine for a bit of practice to set you up before braving the bigger waters.
But! You have the Ouse on your doorstep, stuffed full of perch, chub and pike (not to menton dace and roach). I fish the Cam most weeks, and have got completely hooked on chasing the course fish on fly - even right in the city centre. Brilliant fun - you can go for an hour or two before or after work, and it's free (or minimal cost for a day or season ticket, depending on where you are). Better still, the tackle outlay is really minimal: any rod between 3 and 5 wt, in any length between 7 and 9 foot, floating line, simple reel (don't really need a drag), and a small range of flies. Perch go for damsels with a bushy marabou tail and a weighted head - though they'll take just about anything. At the moment the chub are taking weighted nymphs fished deep and slow under a dry/indicator, though are superb on dries in the summer, and will take trout lures. I think chub are actually harder to hook than trout, and the big ones need to be stalked with a huge amount of care. Roach and dace are seriously challenging, and you need real ninja skills to detect the takes - a lot of fun of very light gear.
You could happily spend the next year or so exploring all the waterways around Ely at next to no cost.
Matt
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