Earliest reports
An Egyptian carving from 2000 B.C. shows someone fishing with a pole and line. The Chinese were fishing with silk line as early as the fourth century B.C.
Early development
A British book published in 1496 describes fishing by using braided horse hair as a line.
Great progress
In 1667, also in England, a wire loop was attached to the end of the pole. Different types of line are mentioned as different substances were experimented with, and that led to the invention of the reel.
American influence
About 1880, horsehair line was replaced by a silk type line covered with oxidized linseed oil. These lines were easily cast but also tangled easily. They would float if greased and sink if not greased.
Modern era
In the 1930s, saltwater fishermen were using linen type line, but freshwater fishermen more commonly used silk lines.
Fibers
Polyester was invented in the 1940s, and by the 1950s polyester fishing lines were being used. This was the first synthetic line, and it is still in use today. In 1954, nylon fibers were introduced. In 1987, polyethylene fibers and spectra were introduced.
Article Written By James Jordan
James Jordan has been a writer and photographer since 1980. He has worked for newspapers in Arkansas, Tennessee, South Carolina and Kansas, winning state press association awards for writing, photography and page design. In 1995 he received his master's in Christian education and completed two years of Ancient Greek at the graduate level. Jordan holds a Bachelor of Arts in journalism.
