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