| There is some evidence that the story of fly | | | | area. Although brimming with game fish, these |
| fishing starts in the ancient world, but it was in | | | | rivers were not suited for any time of bait or lure |
| the cold and rocky streams of Scotland and | | | | that went below the surface. It was the need of |
| Northern England that modern fly fishing began. | | | | a lure that floated on the surface and line that did |
| The tale of fly fishing most likely dates back | | | | so also, that led to the popularity of fly fishing. |
| thousands of years. Mankind began to fish for the | | | | The use of wet flies below the surface also |
| same reasons they began to hunt. It was a | | | | became a part of fly fishing during this period, but |
| matter of survival. Fish was food and for most of | | | | the traditionalists of the fishing clubs looked on this |
| history, the pursuit of fish was not so much sport | | | | practice with horror. |
| as the need to eat. It stands to reason that any | | | | Fly fishing came to the New World with the British |
| form of fishing that would be successful would | | | | settlers and the rivers of New England and the |
| have been discovered and tried out. There is an | | | | fast running streams of the wilderness were |
| early reference in the travel writings of a Roman | | | | ideally suited for it. There was an association |
| named Claudius Aelianus dating to the 2nd | | | | between fly fishing and sportsman from the very |
| Century, AD that speaks of Macedonian | | | | beginning. It was the fishing sport of gentlemen. |
| fisherman using flies to catch fish in the Astraeus | | | | The common man was a bit more practical and |
| River. | | | | preferred live bait, nets, or even wading into the |
| It was in the rocky, swift waters of the rivers | | | | water and clubbing the fish on the head. |
| and streams of Scotland and Northern England | | | | The development of fishing reels and lures, plus |
| that the sport of fly fishing really blossomed. In | | | | the rising popularity of bass fishing led to a decline |
| 1496, as part of a larger work, there was "The | | | | in fly fishing during the 20th Century. The |
| Treatyse on Fysshynge with an Angle" that gave | | | | traditions were kept alive by a small number of |
| a fairly detailed description of fly fishing including | | | | dedicated fly fishermen who viewed the designing |
| information on line, poles, and the matching of | | | | and tying of flies as being as exciting as the actual |
| various types of flies to various species of fish. It | | | | fishing. In recent years, there has been a great |
| is obvious that fly fishing had taken hold in this | | | | revival in interest in this challenging method of |
| area before this time. | | | | fishing. The sales of fly fishing equipment is |
| In Southern England, British fly fishing clubs were | | | | increasing rapidly and fly fishing clubs, like the early |
| begun in the 18th Century. It is thought they | | | | clubs of Britain, are again being formed to bring |
| were a result of the weed choked rivers of the | | | | back this thrilling sport. |