1370: "Fly Fishing"

HistoryPodcastSports
Written By JC

Interesting Things with JC #1370: "Fly Fishing" – Mist rises, the line arcs, and history rides the cast. Two thousand years of craft aiming for one perfect break on the water.

Curriculum - Episode Anchor

Episode Title: Fly Fishing

Episode Number: 1370

Host: JC

Audience: Grades 9–12, college intro, homeschool, lifelong learners

Subject Area: History of sport, cultural traditions, environmental studies

Lesson Overview

By the end of this lesson, students will be able to:

  • Define the historical origins of fly fishing, including its early practitioners and techniques.

  • Compare changes in fly fishing technology from antiquity to the modern era.

  • Analyze the relationship between geographic regions and the evolution of fly fishing styles.

  • Explain the cultural and recreational significance of fly fishing across different societies.

Key Vocabulary

  • Claudius Aelianus (Claw-dee-us Ay-lee-an-us) — A Roman author who wrote about Macedonian fly fishing techniques around the year 200.

  • Spey Rod (spay rod) — A long, two-handed fishing rod, traditionally up to 15 feet, used in Scotland and later in the Pacific Northwest for salmon and steelhead.

  • Matching the Hatch — The practice of choosing a fishing fly that mimics the exact insect species currently present on the water.

  • Split Bamboo Rod — A fishing rod made from split and laminated bamboo strips, perfected in the 19th century for improved flexibility and control.

  • Tenkara (ten-kah-rah) — A traditional Japanese style of fly fishing using a fixed-line rod, known for its simplicity and precision.

Narrative Core

Open – At first light, the river feels private and untouched, a place of calm before the day begins.

Info – Fly fishing has been practiced for nearly two thousand years, beginning with ancient Macedonian anglers and described by Claudius Aelianus.

Details – Key milestones include Dame Juliana Berners’ 1496 treatise, Izaak Walton and Charles Cotton’s 1600s work, Hiram Leonard’s bamboo rod innovation, and the spread of the sport worldwide, from the Pacific Northwest to New Zealand.

Reflection – Despite technological changes, the essence remains—skill, patience, and connection to nature through water and wildlife.

Closing – These are interesting things, with JC.

A woman stands in shallow water along a sunlit river, holding a fly fishing rod. She wears a white T-shirt under a green fishing vest with khaki pants, looking off to the side with a focused expression. Large red text at the top reads “Fly Fishing,” with smaller white text below reading “Interesting Things with JC #1370.”

Transcript

At first light, a river feels like it’s yours alone. The mist hangs just above the surface, the air still cool from the night, and every sound carries. Somewhere out there, a ripple breaks the glass, and you wait.

People have been fly fishing for nearly two thousand years. The Roman writer Claudius Aelianus (Claw-dee-us Ay-lee-an-us) told of it around the year 200, describing Macedonian (Mass-uh-doe-nee-an) anglers on the Astraeus (As-tray-us) River. They tied hooks with red wool and cock-feathers, making something that looked like the insects trout fed on. Even then, the trick was the same—make the fish believe.

In 1496, Dame Juliana Berners (Joo-lee-ah-nuh Bur-ners), an English prioress, printed The Treatyse of Fysshynge with an Angle (Treh-tiss of Fish-ing with an Angle). It listed a dozen fly patterns and spoke about reading the water as carefully as you handled your rod. By that time, split-cane rods and horsehair lines were already giving anglers more control over the cast.

The 1600s brought Izaak Walton (Eye-zak Walt-un) and Charles Cotton (Cot-un), whose work in The Compleat Angler blended practical advice with the idea that fishing could steady a person’s spirit. By the 1800s, rod makers in Britain and the United States were building with lighter split bamboo. Silk fly lines replaced horsehair. In Maine, Hiram Leonard (High-rum Len-urd) perfected the six-strip bamboo rod in the late 19th century—still considered a masterpiece of its kind.

When settlers carried fly fishing across North America in the 18th and 19th centuries, they found trout, bass, and salmon in rivers that seemed endless. In the Pacific Northwest, anglers in the early 1900s swung large “Spey” (spay) rods—some reaching 15 feet (4.6 meters)—for steelhead and salmon. The materials changed over time: fiberglass in the 1940s, graphite in the 1970s. But the cast stayed the same. The line, not the lure, carried the fly.

By the late 19th century, fly fishing had reached New Zealand, where brown trout were introduced from England between 1867 and 1870. The country’s rivers and lakes quickly became known for large, wild trout, attracting international anglers. Records from the 1890s show fully developed local fly patterns and tackle adjustments to match the faster, clearer waters.

The flies themselves can ride high and dry on the surface, sink beneath it, or swim like small baitfish. The craft is in “matching the hatch,” choosing a pattern that mirrors the exact insect life on the water at that moment. A mayfly in spring. A caddis (Cad-iss) in late summer. The right choice can mean the difference between a fish on the line or just the sound of the river.

Even now, rivers like Scotland’s River Spey (spay), Montana’s Madison, New Zealand’s Tongariro (Tong-gah-ree-roh), and Japan’s tenkara (ten-kah-rah) streams see the same rhythm of line and water that’s been there for centuries. The tackle might be modern, but the act is old—someone standing in moving water, hearing the soft hiss of line through the guides, smelling the sharp scent of a cold river, and casting toward a rise, connected to every angler who’s ever done the same.

These are interesting things, with JC.

Student Worksheet

  1. Who first described fly fishing and around what year?

  2. Name two innovations in fly fishing equipment from the 19th century.

  3. Explain the meaning of “matching the hatch” and why it is important.

  4. Compare the fishing styles of early Macedonian anglers and modern tenkara fishers.

  5. Identify two rivers mentioned in the episode and their significance to fly fishing history.

Teacher Guide

Estimated Time: 45–60 minutes

Pre-Teaching Vocabulary Strategy: Introduce key terms with pronunciation guides and contextual sentences; show images of historical and modern fishing rods and flies.

Anticipated Misconceptions: Students may assume fly fishing is exclusively a modern leisure activity; clarify its ancient origins.

Discussion Prompts:

  • How have innovations in materials shaped the sport over centuries?

  • What cultural values are reflected in fly fishing traditions?

  • Why does the act of fishing remain largely unchanged despite technological shifts?

Differentiation Strategies:

  • ESL: Provide translated vocabulary sheets with images.

  • IEP: Break content into smaller chronological sections.

  • Gifted: Assign research on regional fly fishing variations and their ecological impact.

Extension Activities:

  • Create a timeline of fly fishing innovations.

  • Compare the art of fly tying to other forms of craftsmanship.

Cross-Curricular Connections:

  • Physics: Mechanics of casting and line motion.

  • History: Spread of leisure sports during colonial expansion.

  • Biology: Aquatic insect life cycles and their relation to fishing patterns.

Quiz

  1. Who wrote about Macedonian fly fishing in the year 200?
    A. Izaak Walton
    B. Claudius Aelianus
    C. Hiram Leonard
    D. Dame Juliana Berners
    Answer: B

  2. What was Hiram Leonard known for?
    A. Inventing the first fishing reel
    B. Perfecting the six-strip bamboo rod
    C. Creating the first fly patterns
    D. Introducing trout to New Zealand
    Answer: B

  3. What is the main idea of “matching the hatch”?
    A. Casting in the same place repeatedly
    B. Using bait that looks like local insects
    C. Fishing during sunrise or sunset
    D. Using a rod that matches the fish size
    Answer: B

  4. Where did the “Spey” rod originate?
    A. Montana
    B. Japan
    C. Scotland
    D. New Zealand
    Answer: C

  5. When was brown trout introduced to New Zealand?
    A. 1496
    B. 1600s
    C. 1867–1870
    D. 1970s
    Answer: C

Assessment

  1. Describe the major technological changes in fly fishing from the 1400s to the 20th century.

  2. Explain how geography has influenced the development of regional fly fishing methods.

3–2–1 Rubric:

  • 3 = Accurate, complete, thoughtful

  • 2 = Partial or missing detail

  • 1 = Inaccurate or vague

Standards Alignment

U.S. Standards:

  • CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.9-10.3 — Analyze how a text makes connections among events and ideas, as in the historical progression of fly fishing.

  • CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RH.9-10.2 — Determine central ideas of a historical text and summarize objectively.

  • NGSS HS-LS2-6 — Evaluate claims about ecosystem interactions, relevant in “matching the hatch” and fish-insect dynamics.

  • C3.D2.His.1.9-12 — Evaluate historical events considering multiple perspectives and contexts.

UK National Curriculum (History):

  • KS4 History – Understanding historical significance — Examine how leisure activities evolved and spread across regions.

IB MYP Individuals & Societies:

  • Criterion B: Investigating — Conduct research into historical and cultural development of a practice.

Show Notes

This episode traces the history of fly fishing from ancient Macedonian rivers to modern global streams. Students learn how early anglers used wool and feathers to mimic insects, how pioneers like Dame Juliana Berners and Izaak Walton documented techniques, and how advances in materials—from horsehair to bamboo, fiberglass, and graphite—transformed the sport. The lesson highlights how geography influenced fishing styles, from Scotland’s Spey casting to Japan’s tenkara, and how “matching the hatch” blends biology with artistry. Fly fishing becomes a lens for exploring tradition, craftsmanship, and human connection to nature—topics relevant to cultural history, environmental studies, and the enduring appeal of outdoor recreation.

References

JC https://jimconnors.org
Previous

1371: "Bookless Library"
Next

1369: "Purple Heart Day"