I just bought a book on colonial era flyfishing. It talks about how flyfishing in colonial times differed from modern flyfishing and lists the old-time literary sources. It also tells how to make an old-fashioned flyrod, how to make lines out of silk thread and horsetail, and how to tie authentic flies. I find it very well-written and enjoyable. The book is called "The Colonial Angler" and is available on the Jas. Townsend website.

Tusky,
Here's some online references of old books.

A treatyse of fysshynge wyth an Angle

http://www.worldebooklibrary.com/eBooks/Renascence_Edit...berners/berners.html

The Compleat Angler by Izaak Walton (1600s)
http://www.gutenberg.org/etext/683

Remember, the entire email address has to be on one line in your url bar or address bar.

Sparks

Both of those are used as references and quoted extensively in The Colonial Angler.

Dadgummit, Tusky! Many years ago I was a fly fisherman. Now you're breaking me out in a cold sweat over it again. I ain't got time fer it no more---ye hear! I don't need the fly fishin' rigours! Aw rats, now I'm gittin' the shakesomey-tremblers . . . Visions of black gnats an' bucktail streamers an' bumble bees are clutterin' up my head . . . WAAAUUUGH!

Fishin'rigoured'sticks

I figured. Now you have access to the original source material in its entirety!

Here's another reference.
http://www.ballindalloch-press.com/society/angling.html

Fly fishing used to be my other favorite endeavor. But now that I'm retired I just don't have time for everything.

Sparks

Here's another link to Colonial fly fishing. Interesting site to browse, and they have stuff you can buy if you want to do more than browse.

http://www.historicanglingenterprises.com/

Sparks

quote:

Fly fishing used to be my other favorite endeavor. But now that I'm retired I just don't have time for everything.

Sparks it's all about priorities.During the winter you tie up some flies,ice out,you go use them up.I retired so I could have more time to do what I want to,that plan was interupted several times by the wife.Good thing we both like to hunt and fish and just about everything outside.Our kids complain in the summer were never home and they dont know where we are or how to get hold of us,our answer is "YES"
Nothing like a tapered leader on floating line with a bug of your choice on the end,little foam in a swirl pool just after a rip.If your rich/lucky this is all on a split bamboo 9' hand made 5/6 rod.

Walking Crow,

Yep, priorities it is. Spring gets taken up a bunch by turkey season. Spring, summer, early fall is for wildfires. Summer as time allows is for fishing. Fall is for grouse and ducks. Also for deer/squirrels in PA. Winter is for snowshoeing. I'd do more fishing when I start backing off on fires...when I get old...this is going to be fire season 37 for me.

I've got a few rods and reels. "The most fun you can have standing up" is catching a steelhead (sea run rainbow) on a hand built 9' 8 weight fly rod using a #2 mustad hook carrying a mudler or green butt skunk. I built the rod, but it's not bamboo. The reel's a Hardy perfect...invented for Atlantic Salmon catching in Scotland in the 1880s. I don't tie flies as I don't have that kind of fine motor skills.

Sparks

sparks on those wild fires,they must fly you back into some impossable to reach lakes/streams.Ever fly over a nice water and want to HALO/PLF into it????I bet some of those have never seen a Muddler or Warden Worry or a Coachman in dunegray.appears you arnt losing any time just using it up in other areas.HA HA

Some of those lakes are indeed fun to fish. The fish are super hungry when the ice comes off and they will come from underneath a piece of floating ice and jet 20 or 30 feet to hit a fly! Had that happen the first time I ever caught a fish on a fly rod. Great training cuz when you did something right, the fish responded. They wouldn't come out if the line hit the water first.

I tend to like mudlers for steelhead, but bucktail caddis and royal wulffs are a couple of my favorites for mountain lakes.

If we continue this thread as it is maybe we should move it to Tall Tales where it's more appropriate. Or just as email...mine's listed under my profile.

Sparks