| Fly fishing has been around in various forms | | | | both dry and wet flies. |
| for many years. Early historical records | | | | |
| indicate that Macedonian fishermen were using | | | | This materials have continued to develop over |
| artificial flies to catch fish as early as | | | | the years. Significant advances have been |
| the second century. The Roman Claudius | | | | made in this equipment, including rods, line |
| Aelianus described the Macedonian anglers as | | | | and flies. |
| using six-foot rods with six-foot line. | | | | |
| Aelianus detailed how the Macedonian | | | | Early fly fishing rods were made from a |
| fishermen would craft artificial flies from a | | | | tropical wood known as greenheart. Bamboo |
| hook with red wool and insect wings tied on. | | | | replaced greenheart as fly fishing popularity |
| These Macedonian fishermen were apparently | | | | spread. Bamboo rods were further refined as |
| quite successful with their technique. There | | | | American rod builders developed advanced rod |
| is also some evidence that fishing with | | | | building techniques that involved cutting the |
| artificial flies may even predate the | | | | bamboo into strips before gluing the bamboo |
| second-century Macedonian techniques. | | | | back together around a solid core. Following |
| | | | World War II fiberglass became a popular |
| Unfortunately, little else was written about | | | | material for fly rod construction. The |
| ancient fly fishing methods. It was 1496 | | | | fiberglass rods were more affordable than |
| before any major work was published | | | | their bamboo predecessors since bamboo rods |
| describing fly fishing. | | | | may take as much as 100 hours to build. |
| | | | Modern rods are usually made from a graphite |
| It is thought that modern fly fishing | | | | compound. Modern rods are less expensive than |
| probably developed in England and Scotland. | | | | earlier rods and perform exceptionally well. |
| This techniques similar to modern techniques | | | | |
| began to be developed in England in the 19th | | | | Artificial flies were originally made from |
| century. Around this time fly fishing clubs | | | | natural materials like feathers and fur. Most |
| were also formed in England to accommodate a | | | | modern flies are made from synthetic |
| growing interest in the sport. Part of the | | | | materials. |
| interest in this fishing in southern England | | | | |
| was because of the prevalence of shallow, | | | | Fly line has also been improved quite a bit. |
| weedy rivers. It proved to be well-adapted to | | | | Fly line used to be made of horse hair. Horse |
| this type of water course. | | | | hair line was replaced by silk line. The silk |
| | | | line was an improvement over horse hair but |
| It quickly became something of an elitist | | | | the line still had to be removed from the |
| sport in England. It purists insisted on | | | | reel periodically to allow it to dry. |
| fishing with dry flies only and looked down | | | | |
| on wet fishing as being inferior. Wet fishing | | | | US interest in fly fishing peaked in the |
| continued to be developed around the same | | | | 1920s with Maine, Vermont and Wisconsin being |
| time, however. The US and Scandinavia also | | | | the most popular areas for fishing. Interest |
| saw fly fishing popularity increase during | | | | increased again in the 1950s with the |
| the 19th century. However, anglers in the US | | | | development of affordable, fiberglass fishing |
| and Scandinavia did not share the English | | | | rods, synthetic fly line and monofilament |
| view concerning the superiority of dry | | | | leaders. These developments served to make it |
| fishing. US and Scandinavian anglers fished | | | | a more affordable sport for many people. |