Re: [Mid] Period Fishing

Lord Breac,
Thanks for the info below. I also found at amazon.com, but havn't
purchased yet due to it's $40 cost, a book called "Origins of Angling"
which contain a reprint of the treatise you have mentioned below. This
definately sounds interesting and the hardest part would appear to be
learning how to make the 'line', and the hooks. I would think that any
'off-the-shelf' cane pole that people use today mainly for turtles could
suffice as perios at an event. And I'm trying to find the man who had
taught those classes on period fishing at a few events that were listed on
the bridge. Maybe he has the material in an electronic format.

thanks again,
Alec the Smart...alec fisher

At 06:16 AM 6/6/99 -0400, you wrote:
>>Fellow bridge walkers,
>>I was casually chatting with someone today on the SCA chat channel. We
>were
>>talking about a fishing trip I'm taking this weekend. He asked me if I was
>>doint it 'period style'. Period style fishing? I asked. He told me that
>>there are actually fishing Laurels in the SCA. That quickly caught my
>>attention. I've been fishing for 30 of my 33 years, having been raised in
>>the 'country'. I would like to gather information on this period fishing
>if
>>anyone has any to share. I'm thinking the very basics were what they had,
>>but can't imagine how 'period' hooks might have been made.
>
>
>According to "a Treatise on fishing with an angle" in the Boke of st.
>albans, Hooks were fashioned from used-up sewing needles up to the size of
>Awls (for salmon & other big fish). Heated, bent into the familiar
>hook-shape, a barb lifted, and filed to a point. then, depending on where
>you lived, either the "eye" end was pounded flat so that the line wouldn't
>slide off when it was tied to the hook (britain) or a standard "eye" was
>formed by curling the end around in a circle (the rest of europe, & the
>middle east).
> As to the rest of the equiptment, "the basics" were undoubtably used a
>great deal or the time, but could also be quite complex. Consider that most
>of the *angling* (as opposed to commercial *fishing*) was done without the
>use of boats, along the banks of lakes and rivers. Poles were in the 16' to
>18' range and didn't use any sort of reel until post-period. Lines were of
>various thicknesses of specially prepared and braided horsehair, and various
>artificial lures can be documented back to macedonian times.
>>
>>Are any of those fishing laurels in the Midrealm?
>
>
>Well, Although she was Laureled for her expertise in booze, Mistress
>Priscilla the Hun enjoys the subject (I ought to know since she apprenticed
>me in it...:) As far as any laurels specifically for fishing, I'm unaware
>of any. (Heck, I get wierd looks just for being apprenticed in it! :)
>>
>>Definately somehting I have to look into. Any help is appreciated.
>
>
>It's an interesting subject. Angling was looked on as a sporting equivalent
>to hawking or hunting for the clergy. The "reatise" I mentioned above was
>even written by a prioress.
> The "Treatise" is avalable from amazon.com, and while it's OOP, "The
>Compleat Angler"was mostly lifted from earlier sources (I've found one
>called "The Arte of Angling" that dates from 1577, and except for Isaac
>walton's poetry, songs, and tales, it gives pretty much the same
>instructions as far as bait and tackle) I belive there's a penguin version
>that's cheap and not too far OOP (it's one of those books that they keep
>adding to over the years and I've seen versions as late as the 1930's).
>That should get you started. there are also any number of fishing
>references in archaeological papers and books, so there'll be plenty of
>stuff for you to find.
>
>Breac Macfinnien
>Shire Of Stormvale
>
>
>From: "Christopher Hale" <breac@tir.com>
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From: Alec the Smart <asmart@one.net>
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Received on Sun Jun 6 21:57:02 1999