CHAPTER 1 FRESHWATER ANGLING The pond is glassy calm You paddle your kayak toward a patch of lily pads near the shoreline You pick up your rod and cast your lure As you tug the line the lure glides through the water Suddenly a largemouth bass bites it There is a giant splash as you struggle to reel in the huge fish Ponds are good places to fish for largemouth bass and bluegills 5
Today anglers fish mostly for sport and adventure But humans have fished for food for thousands of years Some people used spears or wooden poles with sharpened points They waded into shallow water waited near holes in the ice or rode in boats Some people used nets They placed nets made from reeds across streams Other people wove nets from plant fibers People cast these nets into lakes Still others used hooks and lines They often carved hooks from bone Lines were made from hair or plant fibers The first fishing rods and reels were invented in England in the (cid:157) (cid:1)(cid:1)s By 6
Fishing poles have changed a lot over the years the (cid:157)Œ(cid:1)(cid:1)s fishing reels often included gears and handles Rods were made from flexible bamboo instead of stiff wood Silk fishing line replaced woven horsehair European settlers brought these fishing tools to North America Since then fishing equipment has continued to improve 7
