Man and the Environment in Antiquity. On the Origin of Fly Fishing in Europe

Abstract

The paper discusses the origin of fly fishing in Europe. It is postulated that fly fishing has deep historical roots, going back to an early phase of the Iron Age, given the advanced state of fishing techniques in Antiquity. It is here proposed that the key elements leading to this invention were: (1) surface feeding of trout on emerging mayflies of the Genus Oligoneuriella (mainly O. rhenana), and (2) low fishing efficiency of natural baits under such circumstances. The development of artificial flies was a result of keen observations and a good understanding of the natural environment on the part of ancient anglers, who one should consider as the founding fathers of applied entomology. It is highly probable that the invention occurred independently in various regions. On the other hand we propose that the development of large artificial flies resembling small fish, often called «streamers», followed a different path since their origin can be traced to lures developed during the Paleolithic in the Eurasian region.