Fishing kit

[D.W. Scalf]

I've been looking for a good period fishing kit for a while now. Just received one from Paul Jones at Historic Angling Enterprises.

http://www.historicanglingenterprises.com/

While I'm no expert on period fishing gear, I believe Paul is. I'm VERY happy with the kit. Costs about $15(plus a minimal shipping fee) and comes with a variety of spade end and blind eye hooks on brain tanned leather, a hand made cork, period style sinkers, and a liberal length of waxed linen line. It all comes in a rectangular tin(appears to be an "aged" altoids tin, which works well). Paul is one of the nicest guys I've ever dealt with. He shipped my order before I even paid for it, just so my wife could get it before my Birthday. So no waiting time at all for my order.

Check him out!!

[Paul L Muller]

Re: Fishing kit

I have carried such a kit for almost 20 years and always glad to find the oppertunity to use it. I made mine , used eyeless hooks , flat lead strips for sinkers , cork bobber and waxed cotton line, all carried in a oval tin box I found. A year ago I found a web site the showed G. Washingtons personal fishing kit...and the were AMZINGLY identical. I just wanted to share that. ...plm

[Alexander Vasquez]

Re: Fishing kit

I remember seeing once an article by a civilian on how he rigged up a period set; I believe it was a fly fishing rig but I cannot remember for certain, and how he used it at some events in Virginia. It made for an excellent read and I am sorry I lost that link when I switched machines. If memory serves, he cited Washington's kit in his article.

I was at an NEH War of 1812 class in July, part of one day of which we spent at Fort Meigs; it's outside of Toledo on the Maumee River. The docents there spoke of soldier's accounts of fishing in the Maumee with spears and nets during that time. If I remember properly, they stated that two officers went fishing with spears and nets and each brought back several hundred pounds for the garrison on a regular basis; as they also pointed out, the river is so silted in and otherwise gummed up now that this sort of harvest is almost unthinkable today.

I've always wanted to try period-correct fishing, but can't see the few events I do each year justifying all those licenses...

Alexander Vasquez
Late of Co. C, 15 IA