| Fly fishing is a popular sport around the world. | | | | Scotland also saw the development of wet-fly |
| With a history dating back nearly 2,000 years it | | | | fishing around the same time. However, anglers in |
| should not be surprising that many of the world's | | | | Southern England strongly favored dry-fly fishing |
| cultures have adopted various styles of fly fishing | | | | and tended to look down on wet-fly fishing as an |
| for their sport fishing activities. | | | | inferior perversion of their sport. Fly fishing |
| Fly fishing is a sport where the basics can be | | | | continues in England and the same chalk streams |
| learned in a few hours with a guide but where the | | | | can still be fished today though most access is |
| advanced techniques of the masters will take | | | | through privately owned and managed land. |
| years of dedicated effort. This combination of | | | | American anglers in the Catskill Mountains area of |
| factors helps to keep people interested in fly | | | | New York began experimenting with dry-fly |
| fishing for many years. | | | | design in the late 1800s. These anglers began |
| Fly fishing is also diverse enough that it works well | | | | designing artificial flies to mimic the native insects |
| for quite a variety of fishing conditions. Fly fishing | | | | that the trout naturally fed on. Like Isaac Walton, |
| will serve you well whether casting a fly into a | | | | some of these anglers wrote about their |
| small, mountain trout stream in North America | | | | adventures. These publications served to further |
| and Europe or whether casting for bonefish in the | | | | interest in the sport. The American fly fishers |
| Caribbean. The sports flexibility has served to | | | | were also more open than their English |
| make it a popular sport option around the world. | | | | counterparts to experimenting with wet-fly fishing. |
| The earliest records of fishing with artificial flies | | | | Fly fishing interest has continued and grown |
| record that Macedonian fishermen used six-foot | | | | considerably in the United States and in Canada, |
| rods with six-foot lines to fish. These fly | | | | The development of fiberglass manufactured fly |
| fishermen crafted artificial flies using a hook | | | | rods following World War II, along with synthetic |
| decorated with red wool and insect wings. | | | | line and leaders, made the sport more affordable |
| Interest in fly fishing increased in England and | | | | for many anglers. Inland fishing is frequently done |
| Scotland throughout the years though little was | | | | with dry flies on streams and rivers. Coastal |
| written until 1496 with the publication of The | | | | fishing often involves wet-fly fishing in bays or |
| Treatyse On Fysshynge With An Angle. The 1653 | | | | surf. Fly fishing has also been adapted by bass |
| publication of The Compleat Angler by Isaaak | | | | anglers. |
| Walton contained several chapters on fly fishing. | | | | Many Caribbean and southern-hemisphere |
| The publication of these books, along with the | | | | locations are popular saltwater fly fishing |
| information they contain, demonstrates that fly | | | | destinations. Fly fishers travel great distances to |
| fishing was an established fishing sport by the | | | | fish for bonefish and tarpon. Other |
| time of their publication. The development of fly | | | | southern-hemisphere locations like Belize offer |
| fishing clubs throughout England in the 1800s | | | | both freshwater and saltwater fly fishing |
| served to further develop and popularize the | | | | Fly fishing is a growing sport around the world. |
| sport. | | | | There has probably never been a better time to |
| The chalk streams of Southern England were well | | | | start fly fishing than today. The basic equipment |
| suited to dry-fly fishing with their shallow | | | | to start fly fishing is more affordable than ever |
| waterways and weeds that grew in the water to | | | | and the worldwide opportunities for fly fishing are |
| just below the surface. Northern England and | | | | just about limitless. |