The History of Fly Fishing



No one really knows when fly fishing first began. It is believed that it existed long ago in ancient times. One of the earliest written references to fly fishing was made by Claudius Aelianus. In 200 AD he wrote of people that were fishing in a river with a hand made fly. He described how they attached red wool and feathers to a hook. The rods they used and the sting attached were each about six feet long. These people were the ancient Macedonians. Throughout history from Aelianus to the present people have been writing about fly fishing, and many thousands of others have been enjoying the sport.

The Princess of Soapwell, English, was an avid fly fisherman. Her name was Dame Juliana Berners and she was a master at her sport. At the time Columbus was searching for the New World, Dame Juliana was publishing an extensive treatise on the art of fly fishing. In her treatise she described the twelve styles of fly and included extensive instructions on how to tie them. She patterns were put into categories by the month that they were used most often.

She also described the rod that was used for fly fishing during that time. It measured about 18 feet long and was very flexible, The rods were made of several different types of wood which added to their flexibility. Their lines were short, by today's standards, and were made of hand braided horse hair. The general rule of the time was that the line should not be longer then the fishing rod. The line was tied to the tip of the pole.

Many fly fishermen of today have used her patterns for the fly. They say they are just as effective today as they were more than five hundred years ago. Several of the more popular patterns include the Black Gnat, the Wooly Worm, the Stonefly and the Whirling Dun.

In the mid 1600's Isaak Walton published his book "Compleat Angler." Throughout history from then on, Izaak Walton has been considered the patron saint on angling, and of fly fishing in particular. In truth, it was actually his friend, Charles Cotton, that had contributed the portion of the book that pertained to fly fishing. The flies and rods described in this book were very similar to those described by Dame Juliana. However, the lines described were slightly different. They were still made of horsehair but were about six feet longer then those of the 1400's. The main difference was that some of the lines were tapered. It is believed that this was the first time tapered lines were described in writing.

In the early 1800's, fishing line makers began mixing silk in with the horsehair. By the time of the Civil War the first all silk lines were made. They were coated with an oily coating which made them water resistant. Horsehair lines were almost never used after that. Occasionally they were found in England up to World War II.

The first nylon line was made in 1948 and from that point forward synthetic materials have been used by most people for fly fishing. In 1952, a technology was created that made an automatically tapered line withe extreme precision.





By Yashasvi


Comments

*Name:
*Email:
Website URL:
Title / Subject:
Hide my email
*Comments:
*
 



Menu


My Articles

What Makes Fly Fishing Special
Salt Water Fly Fishing
Fly Fishing For Largemouth Bass
Fly Fishing Catch And Release
History Of Fly Fishing
Top Fly Fishing Spots In The World
Selecting Your First Balanced Fly Fishing Outfit
Fly Fishing In Popular Culture
The Five Main Types Of Fly Fishing Flies
Fly Fishing Terms You Need To Know
Fly Fishing For Men And Women
Top 10 Pieces Of Fly Fishing Gear
The Etiquette Of Fly Fishing A Stream
The Importance Of Setting The Hook When Fly Fishing
Specialized Clothing For Fly Fishing
Fly Fishing Around The World
Fly Fishing Accessories
Different Types Of Fly Fishing Casts
How Are Dry Flies Made
The History Of Fly Fishing
Top US Fly Fishing Spots
Which Fly Fishing Rod Should You Buy
The Mysterious Allure Of Fly Fishing
Stream Fly Fishing For Trout - Know Their Holding Lies





   Related Sites

My Articles


Salt Water Fly Fishing Salt water fly fishing has grown in popularity over the past half century as..


Stream Fly Fishing For Trout - Know Their Holding Lies When fly fishing for trout it is especially important to understand the various..


A Few Of The Best Fly Fishing Spots In The United States All across the United States there are many beautiful, exciting places that are..


Fly Fishing For Men And Women Fly fishing was once viewed as a sport for men. This may..



Related Products:

Related News:

 
TV fly-fishing show casts a line to Pacific Northwest anglers - The Seattle Times

    

Newstalk ZB

TV fly-fishing show casts a line to Pacific Northwest anglers
The Seattle Times
Those seeking out a fishing show on TV with a local Pacific Northwest flair should tune into Channel KVOS for "Fishing with Ladin." Co-hosts Ladin Langeman and Steve Ronholt have been fly-fishing in Washington, Alaska, Montana, Oregon, Canada, ...
Fishing With Ladin: A New Pacific Northwest Fly Fishing ShowAbout - News & Issues
Look out troutArizona Daily Star
On the fly: Keep it simpleAspen Times
Denver Post -Scoop.co.nz (press release) -Pittsburgh Post Gazette
all 16 news articles »



Women who fly-fish - Napa Valley Register

    

Women who fly-fish
Napa Valley Register
Waterfalls on the Snake River were one of the attractions for Napans, who went to the Swan Valley in Idaho for fishing. Submitted photo SWAN VALLEY, Idaho — My friend and I are trying to learn the art of fly-fishing. It might take some time.