Thus have I proved, according to my purpose, that the sport and game of angling is the true means and cause that brings a man into a merry spirit, which (according to the said proverb of Solomon and the said teachings of medicine) makes a flowering of age and a long one. And therefore, to all you that are virtuous, gentle and free-born, I write and make this simple treatise which follows, by which you can have the whole art of angling to amuse you as you please, in order that your age may flourish the more and last the longer.
- From the modernized text of The Treatise of Fishing with an Angle
(From the 2nd Book of St. Albans, 1496)

The purpose of this article is to give an introduction to the history of angling as a sport, along with a brief description of the tools used, as well as some general notes on the skills and techniques used to create them.

A Brief History of Angling

A jester angling, from a late 13th century French manuscript.

Angling is the technique of catching fish using a rod and line; it is called "angling" because of the angle formed by the two. It is considered a sport when practiced for enjoyment, without the need of fish for food or commerce (though bringing home your day's catch for dinner is a bonus for a good angler). Anglers sometimes attempt to catch only one type of fish, often limiting their equipment to increase the sport.

Ancient pictographs dating from about 2000 B.C. indicate that the first known anglers were the Egyptians. A drawing dating from c. 1400 B.C., which depicts an Egyptian noble angling in an elegant pond, suggests they were also the first culture which enjoyed it as a sport. The Greeks, who wrote avidly on fishing, discuss the sport of angling in greater detail, and provide some of the earliest amounts of the equipment used. The Romans, by contrast, did not seem to hold the sport in very high regard, since there is mention that it was an activity for women and not a fitting sport for men.

In the Orient, writings from the I Ching tell of Chinese angling for sport as early as the 11th century B.C. In the first century A.D., the Emperor Wu was said to go angling using a white silk line, a gold hood and a gold fish as bait. He made no attempt to catch any fish, but merely enjoyed the pastime. In the seventh and eighth centuries, many Japanese nobles built pavilions on their estates merely to enjoy the sport of angling.

Very little about angling was written in Europe from the time of the Romans through the 15th century, apart form a few brief references and several manuscript pictures. This changed at the end of the 15th century with the release of several publications. The most important and influential of these was The Treatise of Fishing with an Angle, believed to have been written sometime before 1450 ... possibly a copy of an earlier work. It was first published in the second Book of St. Albans in 1496. This book was intended for the gentry -- so as to keep the knowledge from commoners so they would not ruin the sport -- but the Treatise was later published in pamphlet form to all to have.

Although there were other publications on angling at the same time of the Book of St. Albans, and several more thereafter, The Treatise of Fishing with an Angle was the most in-depth study on the tools, techniques and attributes of the sport. It set as standard of angling for the next 200 years, and was the foundation for most writings on the sport thereafter. Moreover, The Treatise concerned itself not only with the equipment needed for the sport, but also with the attitude of the angler. Thus The Treatise is the primary source of information for this article, and will be referenced throughout.

Tools, Tackle and Equipment

If you want to be crafty in angling, you must first learn to make your tackle.
- The Treatise

Using properly-prepared equipment is important to the success of the angler. There are three necessary pieces of equipment: the rod, line and hooks.

The rod was made from various materials depending on the region in question. From all indications, the cane rod was used in southern Europe from the time of the Greeks, and varied in length and thickness depending on the type of fish being angled for. In northern Europe, however, the cane or reed in the region was too brittle, so rods were made of flexible, lightweight wood, and measured between twelve and eighteen feet in length. In the Orient, rods were made of bamboo from twelve to fifteen feet in length.

The Treatise of Fishing with an Angle describes a rod of three sections fitted together. The bottom section is a staff as thick as one's arm, measuring from six to nine feet long. It can be made from hazel, willow or aspen, though ash was considered an acceptable substitute of these woods were hard to obtain. The staff is to be cut between Michaelmas (September 29) and Candlemas (February 2) so that sap from the tree does not hamper the curing process. Once cut, the staff is steamed and straightened, then cured. Next it is shaped and tapered, then bored out using heated wire and metal rods. To keep the staff from splitting, it is ferruled at both ends with bands of iron or latten (fine brass).

The middle section, which is to be cut at the same time as the lower staff, is to be of hazel, although fir or maple may also be used. This section is about four feet long, and must also be steamed, straightened, cured and shaped. In shaping this section, be sure that the bottom fits snugly in the hole bored in the lower staff, a hand's breadth from its narrow end.

The top section also measures about four feet, and should be cut in the same season as the other two. When spliced together, the middle and top sections should note exceed the length of the bottom staff. The top section may be cut from blackthorn, crabtree, medlar or juniper, and will also need to be soaked and straightened.

Once the middle and upper sections are ready, they are spliced and lashed together. Take care to ensure that the two sections combined will pass through the whole in the lower staff. Once the upper section is completed, wrap it with a six-hair line (see below) from the tip to where it is lashed, leaving a loop at the tip to tie the fishing line to.

When completed, the upper section should fit inside the lower staff, and can be drawn in and out with a running device. Fully extended, it will measure between twelve and eighteen feet. Though this may seem overly long, it was lightweight and easy to wield. This great length was also important for increased casting distance, and for reducing the stress on the line when landing a large fish.

It should be noted that rods could be purchased in tackle shops by the end of the 16th century. Such shops were a steadily-growing industry as the sport of angling continued to spread.

The fishing line is probably the most involved piece of equipment to create. One material mentioned for this purpose is made from the same plant from which linen is produced. Also mentioned are silk (especially in the Orient) and "green silk," which is made from the cut of the silkworm, and is more durable in water than ordinary silk. The primary source for fishing line, however, dates from the time of the ancient Greeks and was still in use in the 19th century: hair from the tail of a horse.

The color of the hair is important. It must be white, for hair of this color has a far greater elasticity than others, making it less likely to snap under pressure. Plutarch, in his writings from the second half of the first century, instructs his readers to use the white hair from the tail of a stallion first, the gelding next and the mare the least; because the mare urinates on her tail, thus weakening the fibers of the line. Plutarch also writes of the importance of keeping the line white and free of knots, so that it will blend with the sky and not startle the fish. The Treatise, however, instructs anglers to dye their lines to match the water for the same reason. This debate continues to this day.

The Treatise provides the most in-depth information on creating fishing line. The first step is to inspect the horse-tail hair for splits, frays and imperfections which may weaken the line. Next divide the hair into six bundles, each of which is to be dyed a different color: yellow, green, brown, tawny, russet, and a dusky color. Different colors are being used depending on the condition of the water being fished. The Treatise gives excellent dye recipes for each of these colors, but they are too long to be included in this article.

Once the hair is dyed, it is plaited (a process similar to braiding, but without any additional twisting) into lines of different weights using various mounts of hair, depending on the type of fish being angled for: one hair for the smallest and up to fifteen hairs for the largest. Some sources also recommend weaving in a thin wire when angling for a very large fish.

A line-tying tool

The plaiting process was done on a line-tying tool, which greatly assists in the making of any line greater than one hair in thickness. When weaving a line, be careful not to make it too tight; otherwise it will snap easily. Second, make sure your knots are secure and neatly trimmed. Occasionally wetting the hair while plaiting will allow you to get a much more even line, since the hairs will become more subtle.

A fishing line made from three hairs, when tested, was equal to between a three- and five-pound test line. A six-hair line tested at between a four- and seven-pound test line. When finished, horsehair line is surprisingly similar in look and feel to modern braided fishing line.

The third major piece of tackle is the hook, which is probably the most difficult piece of equipment to make properly. Throughout history, hooks have been made from many different materials, including wood, horn, bone, brass (in Egypt), and eventually iron and steel. On the European mainland hooks appeared to be made from wire and even early on had eyelets. This varies greatly from the hooks described in The Treatise, which were made from other metal items and had no eyelets. To attach these hooks to the line, a leader was lashed onto the hook with a silk thread.

The process for making hooks described in The Treatise is difficult for two reasons. First, the hooks must be properly tempered, otherwise they may bend easily, or they may be brittle and snap easily when a fish strikes. Second, the metal items described are not readily available today and must be made. Otherwise, the process is fairly straightforward.

The Treatise recommends that hooks be made from fine square needles for smaller fish. Larger hooks are made from progressively larger needles, up to those made from shoemaker awls for the largest fish, such as pike.

The needle is first heated and allowed to cool to reduce its temper. When it is cool enough to handle, use a sharp knife to lift he barb, then file the point sharp. The needle is then reheated and bent into the proper shape, hammering the shank into a flange. This flange is then filed to remove any brays which may cut the line. The hook is then heated once again and quenched to reset its temper.

The rise of the needle-making industry in the 16th century changed the way hooks were made, as the new technology was quickly applied to hook-making. Like the fishing rod, hooks became available for purchase in tackle shops.

Apart from bait, these three pieces of equipment are all that are needed to enjoy the sport. The re is additional tackle, though, which can be created to increase the skill of the angler, including bobbers, weights and flies.

The bobber is of great assistance when bait fishing, and is probably the easiest piece of tackle to make. The bobber described in The Treatise is made of cork, an imported wood which comes from a tree in the south of Spain. It is best to first shape the cork with a sharp knife into an egg or acorn shape. Finish shaping and smoothing the bobber on a grinding wheel. The final shape should be larger at the top than the bottom, so as to sit in the water properly. Once a bobber is shaped, use a sharp, heated wire to bore a hole from top to bottom. After the hole is cool, place a feather quill within to ease the threading of the line. Bobbers of several different sizes should be made, from as small as a pea to as large as a walnut.

Later writings describe bobbers made from several quills tied together, and the general opinion is that this variety is better, since it is more sensitive to a fish striking the bait. Whichever bobber is used, be sure to select the correct size for the thickness of line and the type of fish desired.

The Treatise describes a lead weight which is exactly the same as the modern slip shot weight. It does not describe how to make them, but merely mentions cutting balls of lead with a knife so that they may be placed on the line.

These balls may be made from a mold, by using the drop method or by pouring molten lead into holes drilled into a board. There are several important pieces of advice to consider when using each of these methods. When casting lead in a mold, be sure there is no water present, because molten lead may cause a small explosion when it hits water.

The drop method allows drops of molten lead to fall several feet into a bucket of water. The ball is formed by the fall, similar to that of a raindrop. Be sure that you drop the molten lead far enough from the water, so that it has a chance to cool before hitting the water, thus preventing an explosion which shoots hot lead all over.

The final method is accomplished by pouring molten lead into a block of wood. In this method, care must be exercised to ensure that the wood does not catch fire. After the lead cools, it must be pried from the wood.

No matter which method is used, the balls will need to be trimmed with a knife and then shaped by lightly tapping with a hammer. It is important for the balls to be round and smooth, so as not to get caught on underwater obstructions. Also, use very pure lead, because lead with inclusions such as tin is not pliable enough to use. Most important of all, be aware that lead is very harmful if it builds up in your body, so take every precaution possible when working with it.

Now for the shapes and proportions of these flies, it is impossible to describe them without painting, therefore you shall take of these several flies alive and laying them before you, try how near your Art can come unto nature by an equal shapes and mixture of colors.
- from A Discourse on the General Art of Fishing by Gervase Markham, 1614

Woodcut from the earliest known printed book on angling: Dialogus creaturarum optime moralizatus, 1480.

The art of angling with an artificial fly dates back to the Macedonians of the third century B.C. and continues to this day. The artificial fly takes the most skill to make and use properly, which is why it is considered the height of the sport. Angling with a fly won't increase your chance of catching a fish, but it can increase your enjoyment of the sport.

The Treatise describes twelve flies made of dyed wool, silk thread and feathers. The twelve flies are designed to resemble insects on which the fish feed during particular times of the year.

The list of flies is as follows: The Dun Fly and Another Dun Fly, to be used throughout March. For April there is The Stone Fly, and one called A Good Fly is for the beginning of May. The Yellow Fly and The Black Leaper are for the whole month of May. There are three flies for June: The Dun Cut, The Maure Fly and The Tandy Fly. The Wasp Fly and The Shell Fly are for use in July. Finally, for August, there is The Drake Fly.

The Treatise describes the process and materials for each fly; too much information to be covered in this article. If you wish to try to make them yourself, it is recommended that you get a book on modern fly tying, to better understand the terms and techniques before attempting to re-create historical methods.

In Europe, the fly was used for catching trout, grayling and salmon. In the author's native Aethelmearc, the fly can also be used to catch panfish and bass. It became apparent by the end of the 16th century that there were many more fly designs than those listed in The Treatise. This invites us to create our own designs for different types of fish and waters.

There are other useful pieces of equipment not mentioned in The Treatise. These include the net, a spool to keep your line on, various containers for bait and caught fish, and weeding rings (devices used to free fish from the line when it is has swum into the reeds). All were in use around the time of The Treatise and appear in various writings and illustrations of the time.

Strangely enough, the angling topic most commonly written about was bait. Every author had different opinions and recipes for bait, with many of the latter being strange concoctions involving everything from poisons to blessings. An attempt to discuss all of these could easily fill a separate article, if not an entire book. The best advice is to talk to other anglers familiar with the area you wish to fish, and find out which bait is working best.

Bibliography

Denny, John. The Secrets of Angling. 1613.

Gingrich, Arnold. The Fishing in Print: A Guided Tour Through Five Centuries of Angling Literature. Winchester Press, 1974.

Hills, John Waller. A History of Fly Fishing for Trout. Freshet Press, 1912.

McDonald, John. The Origins of Angling. Doubleday and Co., 1954.

Radcliffe, William. Fishing from the Earliest Times. Ares Publishers Inc., 1921.

Trench, Charles Chenevix. A History of Angling. Follet Publishing Co.

Creador Twinedragon is a 16th century travelling artisan currently working for the Nakkashane in the Ottoman Empire. He is also squired to a knight of Europe and thus leaves the Empire to fulfill his duties.