Short History of Fly Fishing

Until a short time ago, we knew little about the practice of fly-fishing in ancient times; it has since, however, been demonstrated that in Europe in the Middle Ages Europe, this type of fishing has been practiced since the beginning of the XIII century. German texts mention, from this date onwards, the fishing of trout and graylings using a 'feathered hook' (vederanglel).

The first reference is found in a romance written around 1210 by Wolfram von Eschenbach, whose hero, Schionatulander, waded through a river barefoot to fish trout and graylings with a fly.

Other texts since 1360, identify fly-fishing as the 'method chosen by people', across a wide area from the Swiss prairies to Syria.

There are also a dozen old manuscripts documenting fly-fishing in Great Britain in the centuries XIV and XV, but none of these texts describe explicitly the techniques used. They do, however, mention that this type of fishing was practiced on a relatively large scale, and with a certain degree of sophistication.

Fly Fishing Techniques in the XV Century

We certainly know very little about fly-fishing before the XVII century. We can only extrapolate, to try to enhance our knowledge about the equipment used: rods 14 feet long (3,6 meters), or even longer, with a line made of braided horse tails tied to its tip. Reels were not used. Given the limitations of the equipment, it is unlikely that fishermen in the XV century used lines longer than twice the length of their rods.

Often, we assume that in the XV century fly fishermen cast the fly allowing the line (and fly) to move in the wind, but this is mere, though reasonable, speculation. If the fly was not cast, then, it would simply have been deposited on the water, and then taken back, because false casting was not invented until the XIX century. Neither do we have details about the way they worked flies, and perhaps this will never be known.

Most fly fishermen at this time caught mainly trout and salmon. Their equipment was unable to dominate this kind of fish, due to the difficulties involved in fighting salmon with an extremely short and fixed line.

The first mention of fly-casting appears in 1620, by Lawson in one of his most frugal moments. To be honest, each word on fly-fishing from Lawson is written as footnotes in poems of John Dennys, which must have been very limiting for him. It is a pity that he didn't write more. Even the brief writings of Lawson suggest that he was an expert at fishing. He suggested flying fish with 'a line twice longer than the rod, as thick as three hairs, in waters free from trees in a dark and windy afternoon.'

We have few details about the first flies used to catch salmon, but if we read between the lines, flies for salmon from the XVII century had a body made from bear skin, perhaps tied with dyed silk thread and a necklace with rooster, pheasant, partridge, macaw, flamingo or parakeet feathers. The fly might have had a pal mated aspect, or dressed with one, two or even three pairs of wings, made with garganey, heron, mallard (wild duck), or falcon. Hooks were perhaps as big as present hooks.

The first half of the XIX century was the period when the drown fly with wings appeared, marking the beginning of the evolution of the completely dressed salmon fly. It was also an experimental time, and there were improvements in the rod design, braided silk lines were mass-produced, and the bowel (intestine) of the silk worm started to be widely used.

Rods from the beginning of the XIX century were not very different from the previous ones. The best ones were built of ash, custard and walnut wood. Then, the Calcutta bamboo started to replace the custard tree, when it the appropriate quality could be found.

Except for custard wood and the bamboo, the other materials were the raw materials preferred for over two centuries, and they still remained in use for another thirty years.

Rods made of several sections tended to separate constantly. A lot of skill was necessary to overcome the problem, and a number of joints were used during this time: a bronze female ferule and the other part was also bronze covered, with threaded links.

The search was not over until it resistant links were created and covered with thin metallic sleeves.

Apart from many other advances, baleen continued to be used on rod tips, and was considered sufficient with a length of four or five inches. Then, very few people bothered to make their own rods, but during the XIX century, it became necessary for fishermen to have enough knowledge and skill to make their own rod tips, which broke with a monotonous regularity (sometimes after a few days).

The length of salmon rods remained unaltered, but trout rods began to get shorter. The common length for trout rods was between twelve and fourteen feet, though in 1806, Mackintosh suggested that rods for two hands should not be shorter than 16 feet long! Salmon rods got longer again, up to perhaps seventeen or eighteen feet.

Around 1800, the reel was almost universally used by fly fishermen. Reels with clamp hold were frequently used; the versions with a 'bolt' were slightly less popular.

Literally, these last reels had a threaded screw passed through a hole in the lower part of the rod, held then with a butterfly bolt. There was much discussion which divided experts about where the reel had to be put; on or under the rod. Most of the supporters of putting the reel on the rod, fished with multiplying reels; which, even nowadays, is preferred for these kind of reels.

During the decade of 1830, reels with board support started a fierce competition against screw clamp reels which were around in this time. The latter kept on being the favorite, but in spite of this, firms such as Pfleuger continued selling clamp reels until the end of the XIX century.

The years between 1851 and 1900 were a time of enormous change in the world of fly-fishing. In these fifty years, the prevailing conventions were quickly swept away. False cast was discovered, the dry fly technique appeared, split canes were perfected, and reels considered as 'modern' appeared.

In 1851, some people fished with fly and bite using the same rod. Towards 1900, there were specialized rods for fly-fishing, and nobody even dreamed of using a fly rod for another technique.

The first printed reference of the dry fly was made in 'The Field', dating from December 17th, 1853. In an article titled 'The Hampshire Fly Fisher', the author says: "On the other hand, as far as fly fishing is concerned, fishing up the river, unless trying 'the Carshalton Break', and using a dry fly, is very complicated"

Dry fly patterns were commercially available around this time; in 1854, the company Foster's, from Cheltenham, sold dry flies with upright split wings. Nevertheless, it is not clear who really developed the first dry fly, if it is possible to say that a man was the inventor.

The period between 1890 and 1930 was the most brilliant for dry fly fishing in the English rivers, and it was the time when North Americans finally moved away from European influence and developed their own and different identity, with a flow of new styles and techniques. Maybe the most important development of this period was the discovery of nymph fishing, by one of the greatest fishermen: G.E.M. Skues. The first glass fiber rods appeared after 1940, but it took some time before this new material was adopted. Providers showed different degrees of enthusiasm for it. The first Hardy glass fiber rod was built in 1954. The first Hardy carbon fiber rod appeared in 1976. The weights of the rods decreased, until it reached the point where the line weight had to be taken into account in order to handle the rod.

Fly Fishing from 1951 to the present day.

The modern period has been dominated by the development of new materials, and there is no doubt that though the basic principles are the same, without plastics, fly fishing, as we know it, would be unrecognizable as a sport.