I am a self-taught angler in the modern sense: learning through a random assortment of techniques, tips, and tricks cobbled together from web forums, blog posts, and YouTube videos, plus a lot of trial and error. My advice to those interested in learning to fish is to just learn the very basics - tie a simple leader with a couple of loops, thread the loops through small hooks, tie on a sinker at the end of the line - then follow the when in Rome, do as the Romans do technique for learning.
Head out to your local pier or dock, throw on some bait appropriate to the environs (e.g. shrimp or squid in saltwater; worms in freshwater), and start fishing. Watch, observe, and talk to the people fishing next to you. Find the locals that have been fishing the area for years or decades, and do exactly as they do. Make a mental note of the tackle they use and techniques they employ. That’s the ageless way of learning to fish.
Over the years, I’ve created several tools related to fishing for my self-use: journaling software, notification service for ideal tidal conditions, and scrapers that extract location EXIF data for finding new fishing spots. I’ve come to realize that nothing beats spending time on the water. Here, I plan to maintain a digital trophy case of my best catches over the years, as a way to document my lifelong progress in fishing and to serve as motivation for others to get outdoors and enjoy nature.