History of fly fishing

Part 1

History Of Fly Fishing

What Is Fly Fishing Fly fishing the way we consider it in the modern sense, with a rod, fly, and reel did not start until the 18th century when the first reels were created.

W

hen you ask yourself what is fly fishing, the basic answer is using an artificial

lure known as a fly that resembles natural bugs and other organisms to catch fish. While that generalizes things, to truly answer what is fly fishing you should take a trip through history and learn how the recreation and sport began. Here is a brief overview of the history of fly fishing:

The Earliest Days

While there is some dispute on the first time an artificial lure was used to catch fish, many historians attribute the first official record to a Roman author and teacher named Claudius Aelianus. In the 2nd century he described watching fishermen from Macedonia create lures made from wool and feathers.

The hobby lost some steam for a while until the 1950s when monofilament leaders In Japan similar fishing methods took place with Japanese methods such as Tenkara and Ayu fishing.

These are similar to fly fishing in that they use an artificial lure, but there was no casting and the lure was simply dropped into the water using a long pole. Depending on how you define the term when answering what is fly fishing, you may not consider Ayu fishing true fly fishing at all.

Fly Fishing Rises As A Hobby and Sport Fly fishing the way we consider it in the modern sense, with a rod, fly, and reel did not start until the 18th century when the first reels

were created. Before the reel, flies were attached to hooks and the fly was cast into the water with little technique and in some cases simply dropped in the water. The first records of a reel for fly fishing date back to 1768 and with the industrial revolution reels, rods, and fly line were able to be mass produced which made the sport more popular.

Modern Day Fly Fishing

As time passed, fly fishing grew in popularity around the world, especially in the United Kingdom.

It wasn’t until the 1810 until a Kentucky inventor named George Snyder invited the bait-casting reel which helped the sport grow into the 19th century. In 1905 an even better reel was created and by 1920 the sport of fly fishing was extremely popular, especially in the Eastern United States, partially due to Ernest Hemingway’s love for the sport.

The hobby lost some steam for a while until the 1950s when monofilament leaders, cheap fly lines, and durable but inexpensive fiberglass fly fishing rods were developed in the United States.

Because it was so cheap to produce fly fishing equipment it gained back a lot of popularity and is now quickly surging due to the help of fishing programs on cable, competitive fly casting, and baby boomers finding interest in the sport.

Still want to know what is fly fishing? Visit the next article in the series or click here to enroll in introduction to fly fishing classes that will teach you everything you need to know about the sport.