Distinctly Montana Magazine

4 5 Y E A R S O F H A U N T E D W A T E R S 2 2 W HEN WAS IT IN THE GREY SHADOWS OF HISTORY THAT A MAN FIRST SE- CURED A FEW FEATHERS AND MAYBE A LIT- TLE FUR TO A PRIMITIVE HOOK AND USED IT TO CATCH A FISH? Perhaps it started with a guy watching fish eat flying bugs and think- ing, "If I could catch one of those bugs and tie it to a hook..." To his delight, fish ON! And what if that fish escaped? Did the fisher run home and tell his friends about it? And along the way, did he add five inches to the one that got away? It may have been the first fly, but probably not the first fisherman's lie. One of the earliest mentions of fly fishing in the historical record was in the 2nd-century writings of Roman Claudius Aelianus, who described anglers using an artificial fly to catch fish from the Astraeus River of Macedonia. Ae- lianus observed how anglers secured dyed wool and a couple of feathers to a hook and caught fish. Centuries later, fly fishing was exported to Europe sometime in the Middle Ages, where it caught on in the British isles in about the 15th century and soon became known as a gentle- man's sport. Today's fly fishers might look aghast at the equipment and methods used by the early adopters. Rods were often cut from straight branches, about six feet long and thicker at the base than at the tip. A line of six to eight feet made from braided horsehair was at- tached to the tip. Offerings were simply drifted downstream. Hooks were carved from bone or crafted from metal. For a fly, miniature donuts were tried at first but no matter how artfully presented, fish rejected them. Consequently, a hook was adorned with feathers and animal hair and fish were fooled. In the 18th century, fly fishing caught on in America. Immigrants, pioneers, and settlers ad- opted the sport and democratized it. No longer the exclusive purview of the genteel, it was often subsistence fishing; catch-and-eat overruled today's catch-and-release ethic. At first, most of the fishing tackle was imported from England, but following the application of American inge- nuity, small-scale, home-based industries sprung up to supply the needs. The first fly fishing clubs were organized about this time. The 19th century brought many improve- ments. The first dry flies were created, as were fishing rods made of bamboo or cane. Rods made of split bamboo were a huge improvement by MIKE L. RAETHER A BRIEF HISTORY OF FLY FISHING These Are the Good Old Days d

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