Feathers on Fur: Fly Fishing in the Regency Period

My memories of fishing are my brother and father coming home with trout that lay in the kitchen sink and flapped. Shudder. Imagine my surprise when the hero of my Christian historical romance novel, The Wife Campaign, turned out to be an avid angler. Of course, I wanted to make sure I captured both the science of fishing at the time and the fascination Whitfield Calder, Earl of Danning, held for the sport, so I set in to research.

Recreational fishing in England has been a nearly sacred art since at least the 1400s. In England during the Regency, the most highly praised book on the subject was Izaak Walton's The Compleat Angler. Originally published in 1653, the book was written almost like a play, where a particularly wise character named Piscator describes the perfect way to catch various types of fish. Other authors also attempted to share their wisdom, particularly for their favorite streams or species of fish.

By the time my hero Whit came along, the rod was a jointed affair of bamboo held together with brass screws. Gentlemen prided themselves on their collection of hand-tied flies, made by recognized masters of the art. These clever masters used feathers, fur, and other materials to make very realistic replicas of the creatures fish found delectable. For example, one made artificial minnows of green and white silk with feathers for the tail and fins. Favorite live baits included grasshoppers, lob worms, and beetles found under cow dung.

The River Dove was widely regarded as one of the best fishing streams around, perhaps because of its association with grand master Izaak Walton. Gentlemen angled for trout, salmon, and chub. They brought their fish proudly home for their cooks to prepare for them and perhaps guests.

And I'll bet there were few of them flapping in the sinks!

Try The Wife Campaign to learn more about how a passion for fishing led to an altogether different love for Whit.