Recreational fishing （also known as sport fishing） is fishing， not for food or profit but for pleasure or competition. As such is a pastime of people since the 15th century. It is done with a rod， reel， line， hooks and lures or baits and is commonly known as “angling”.

休闲钓鱼（也称为钓鱼运动）是一种并非为了获取食物或利润，而以娱乐或竞赛为目的的钓鱼活动。因此，自15世纪以来，它就是人们的一种消遣方式。它是用钓竿、绕线轴、鱼线、鱼钩和诱饵或饵料来进行的，通常被称为“垂钓”。

When and where recreational fishing began—we don’t know for sure. Ancient civilizations gave us proof of how they fished for fun. People in places like Egypt， Greece， and Rome loved fishing not just for food but also as a hobby.

我们无法确切知道休闲钓鱼始自何时何地。有证据表明，古代文明的人曾经为了娱乐而钓鱼。埃及、希腊和罗马等地的人们热爱钓鱼，不仅为了获取食物，更将其视为一种爱好。

In Egypt， both rich and poor folks enjoyed fishing. They used simple tools like reed poles and linen lines in the Nile. Even wall drawings from their tombs show people fishing joyfully.

在埃及，无论贫富，人们都喜欢钓鱼。他们使用芦苇杆和亚麻线等简单工具在尼罗河垂钓。连他们墓室的壁画也展示了人们愉快地钓鱼的场景。

The Greeks were also pretty good at fishing. They used bronze hooks and had different baits ready. Their art and stories often featured fishing， showing that it was a big deal in their culture.

希腊人也相当擅长钓鱼。他们使用青铜鱼钩，并有各种现成的饵料。他们的艺术和传说经常以钓鱼为主题，说明这在他们的文化中占据了重要的一席之地。

Then came the Romans， who elevated fishing to a higher level. They built fancy fishing ponds and tried out fly fishing. For the rich Romans， fishing was a peaceful break from the city.

之后是罗马人，他们将钓鱼提升到了更高层次。他们建造了精美的钓鱼池，并尝试飞钓。对于富有的罗马人来说，钓鱼是一种远离城市获取宁静的休息方式。

The Renaissance era changed how people viewed sport fishing. It shifted from being a need to something people did for fun. Fishing practices， tools， and people’s thoughts about this activity changed.

文艺复兴时期改变了人们对钓鱼运动的看法。钓鱼从一项需求转变为人们为了乐趣而进行的活动。钓鱼的方式、工具以及人们对这项活动的看法都发生了变化。

By the 15th century， the nobles and upper classes were getting into fishing. They marked it as a high-class hobby. This new view fueled advancements in how people fish and the gear they used.

到了15世纪，贵族和上层社会开始参与钓鱼。他们视钓鱼为一项高雅的爱好。这种新观念推动了钓鱼方式和渔具的发展。

Fishing gear became more advanced， with better rods and lines. Anglers began to use reels. This made fishing both more fun and harder—just the way enthusiasts liked it.

渔具更加先进，出现了更好的钓竿和鱼线。垂钓者们开始使用绕线轴。这一切令钓鱼更有趣也更难——而这正是爱好者们所喜欢的。

During the Renaissance， fishing literature also changed. Writers started publishing detailed books on fishing. They covered things like how to fish， what fish you could catch， and where the best fishing spots were. These guides were a big help to anyone wanting to fish.

在文艺复兴时期，钓鱼文献也发生了变化。作家们开始出版关于钓鱼的详细书籍，内容涵盖了如何钓鱼、能钓到哪些鱼，以及哪里有最好的钓鱼点等等。这些指南对任何想要钓鱼的人都大有帮助。

The first English text that had as a theme fishing as recreation appeared in 1496 so it is safe to say that sport fishing was popular in Europe before that. This text was “Treatyse of Fysshynge wyth an Angle”1 and was a part of book called “Boke of Saint Albans”2 which was written by Dame Juliana Berners and has as a theme hawking， hunting， and heraldry. It is known that Dame Juliana Berners was a noblewoman and that she was brought up at court. She adopted the monastic life， but that didn’t distance her from her love of hawking， hunting and fishing. She wrote about them in The Book of Saint Albans.

第一份以休闲钓鱼为主题的英文文字材料出现于1496年。因此可以肯定地说，在那之前，钓鱼运动已经在欧洲流行起来。这份名为《垂钓指南》的文本是《圣阿尔班斯书》的一部分，全书由朱丽安娜·伯纳斯夫人撰写，主题涉及鹰猎、狩猎和纹章学。据说朱丽安娜·伯纳斯夫人是一位在宫廷中长大的贵族女性。她过着修道生活，但并未放弃对于鹰猎、狩猎和钓鱼运动的热爱。她在《圣阿尔班斯书》中撰写了关于这些活动的内容。

During the Industrial Revolution， fishing gear improved greatly. Factories made cheap but good rods and reels. Fishers no longer used horsehair for lines. Instead， they switched to silk for stronger， more flexible lines. This change made fishing easier and more fun for everyone.

渔具在工业革命时期得到了极大的完善。工厂生产出质优价廉的钓竿和绕线轴。垂钓者们不再使用马鬃来做鱼线，而是采用了更结实也更柔韧的丝线。这些变化使得钓鱼对所有人来说都更容易也更有趣。

As people worked less， they had more chances for hobbies like fishing. Plus， with more trains around， anglers could go to new fishing spots pretty quickly. Together， these things made fishing a beloved pastime for many.

随着人们的工作量减少，他们有了更多机会参与钓鱼等业余爱好。此外，随着火车的增多，垂钓者能够很快到达新的钓鱼地点。这些因素共同作用，使得钓鱼成为许多人喜爱的消遣方式。

In the 19th century， fishing clubs started popping up in Britain and America. These clubs really helped make fishing a sport. They held contests， shared fishing tips， and worked on saving fish and their habitats.

19世纪的英国和美国开始涌现许多钓鱼俱乐部。这些俱乐部大力推动钓鱼成为一项运动。各个俱乐部举办比赛，分享钓鱼技巧，并致力于保护鱼类及其栖息地。

The 19th century was a big turning point for sport fishing. During the Victorian era， more people started to fish for fun. Changes in society and having more free time helped fishing become very popular.

19世纪是钓鱼运动的一个巨大转折点。在维多利亚时代，越来越多的人以垂钓为乐。社会变化以及闲暇时间的增加促使钓鱼变得极为流行。

Books were a big part of making fishing well-liked. For example， Izaak Walton wrote “The Compleat Angler.”3 This book moved many people to start fishing. It showed fishing as something good for anyone wanting to feel close to nature.

书籍在推广钓鱼这项运动方面也发挥了很大的作用。例如，艾萨克·沃尔顿撰写了《钓客清话》。这本书吸引了很多人开始钓鱼，它将钓鱼描绘成一种对于任何想要亲近自然的人都十分有益的活动。

But fishing’s popularity wasn’t just because of books. New fishing gear made it easier and more fun to fish. Reels got better， letting people cast their line further and with more control. Also， there were more artificial flies and lures to choose from.

不过钓鱼的流行也不仅仅是因为书籍。新式渔具使钓鱼更容易也更有趣。经过改进的绕线轮能让人们把鱼线甩得更远，更易掌控。此外还有更多种类的人造鱼饵可供选择。

Transport also played a big role. Trains made it easy for city people to get to the countryside to fish， leading to the formation of more fishing groups. The fishing community became lively and fun.

交通也起到了重要作用。火车让城市居民能够轻松前往乡村钓鱼，从而促使更多的钓鱼团体形成。钓鱼群体变得更活跃、更有乐趣。

“To go fishing is the chance to wash one’s soul with pure air， with the rush of the brook， or with the shimmer of sun on blue water.”

“清新的空气、奔流的小溪，还有蔚蓝水面上闪烁的阳光，使钓鱼成为一个洗涤人们心灵的机会。”

This quote by Herbert Hoover4 shows what fishing in the Victorian era was like. It wasn’t just about fish. It was about feeling close to nature and finding peace away from a busy， industrial world.

赫伯特·胡佛的这句话展现了维多利亚时代的钓鱼情形。钓鱼不仅仅是为了渔获，更是为了亲近自然，在繁忙的工业世界之外寻求安宁。

1这里的Fysshynge是古英语中“钓鱼”的意思，而wyth an angle指的是使用钓竿（或钓具）进行垂钓。  2编写于15世纪晚期，是英国早期印刷书籍的重要示例。

3英国著名作家艾萨克·沃尔顿于1653年出版的一本关于垂钓的对话体书籍。书中描述了垂钓的乐趣和技巧、鱼的种类以及烹饪方法，被奉为“垂钓者的《圣经》”。

4美国第31任总统。