Andy, great questions, I'm sorry we didn't include those in the video but we reached out to Paul and he offered this insight: QUESTION 1: It is clear from the historical record that floats were used and available from the 1400's and perhaps much earlier. But there is nothing in the record to suggest that Washington personally used one or that he specifically used one with the other tackle in this kit. Floats from that era, including those sold in commercial shops that stocked tackle or those made by the fishermen themselves, were typically made from corks or quills (most frequently duck or goose). But it is my view that most coarse (bait) fishermen did not use them as they were fishing with 'fixed' lines, lines tied to the tip of their pole or rod, and the lines were typically taunt as they were held ready to strike at any sense of a bite. The other issue, assuming Washington either had a float or wanted to use one is that the cork floats were typically 'threaded' on to the fishing line through a hole burned or bored in the center of the cork, and the quill floats were attached through loops at the bottom end of the float and/or with sections of quill slipped on the float through which the line could be threaded. The horse hair line Washington used for his main line had multiple knots where the hair sections were connected, making it some what difficult to use a cork or quill float with that line. He could have easily used one on the ground line, his silk twist, the section connecting the hair main line and the hook, but again, no float was in his kit and there is simply no record of him having or using one. But did he need one? I say no. He was fishing, we believe, with poles cut from cane breaks or with limbs and his line was 'fixed,' in other words it was connected to the rod and so he would have had to hold the line somewhat high to keep it from fouling or getting caught on obstructions in the water. I rarely use one when coarse fishing as I am ready to 'strike' quickly when there is any indication that a fish is at or on my bait. QUESTiON 2: Coarse fisherman using a cane pole or limb for a rod, typically connected their lines to the pole in one of two ways. First, they could simply tie the line to the pole. Second they could connect the line to a loop affixed to the end of the pole. I use the loop method with the original wood rod that I fish with, both coarse and when fly fishing. Loops were made with horse hair or linen or hemp line. On my rod I use a linen loop that is tied permanently to the rod tip, with an under wrap and over wrap to keep it firmly in place. The linen loop is stronger and longer lasting that a horse hair loop. But I believe that most coarse fishermen using a cane pole or a limb would have simply tied the line directly to the pole/limb. That is how most modern cane pole fishermen still attach their lines and it is the same method that has been used for centuries. They knot it to the tip of the pole or perhaps first fix it somewhat lower on the upper section in case the tip might break. Even with the horse hair line found in Washington's kit, it can be easily knotted to the upper section of a pole with simple half-hitches. It can also be fixed to the pole with other line. I chose this method for the cane pole I use when fishing with the Washington tackle. Remember the horse hair line is ten to twelve feet long, so I typically have more line than I would want or need to go with my pole. So I chose to knot it to the pole with linen line about half way down the pole, and then wrap the line around the pole to the tip where I can fix it to the tip with either another piece of linen line or knot the horse hair to the with with some half-hitches. I believe most coarse anglers, and more than likely Washington himself, tied the horse hair (main) line to his pole or limb. One last note. When fishing at Mount Vernon I hooked a very strong and feisty channel catfish. I landed it without incident, but it did literally bend the cane pole double as I fought it, and had the tip broken I still could have landed it as the line was fixed far down from the tip. Washington's lines, both the horse hair and silk twist are strong, and I have been fishing with them regularly for almost two years now and am still using the originally lines. and neither have broken off, even after numerous fish.
Very cool! I wish the footage wasn't out of focus when you were tying the hook. But amazing to think of George Washington fishing.
Great video and great merchandise!! Great customer service.
I would have like to see a close -up of the fish hook
Good video, Paul.
My dad did the same technique in attaching a line to a hook.
what's the largest size fish this setup can handle?
Nothing about how to attach the line to the pole tho, or if a float was used?
Andy, great questions, I'm sorry we didn't include those in the video but we reached out to Paul and he offered this insight:
QUESTION 1:
It is clear from the historical record that floats were used and available from the 1400's and perhaps much earlier. But there is nothing in the record to suggest that Washington personally used one or that he specifically used one with the other tackle in this kit.
Floats from that era, including those sold in commercial shops that stocked tackle or those made by the fishermen themselves, were typically made from corks or quills (most frequently duck or goose). But it is my view that most coarse (bait) fishermen did not use them as they were fishing with 'fixed' lines, lines tied to the tip of their pole or rod, and the lines were typically taunt as they were held ready to strike at any sense of a bite.
The other issue, assuming Washington either had a float or wanted to use one is that the cork floats were typically 'threaded' on to the fishing line through a hole burned or bored in the center of the cork, and the quill floats were attached through loops at the bottom end of the float and/or with sections of quill slipped on the float through which the line could be threaded. The horse hair line Washington used for his main line had multiple knots where the hair sections were connected, making it some what difficult to use a cork or quill float with that line. He could have easily used one on the ground line, his silk twist, the section connecting the hair main line and the hook, but again, no float was in his kit and there is simply no record of him having or using one.
But did he need one? I say no. He was fishing, we believe, with poles cut from cane breaks or with limbs and his line was 'fixed,' in other words it was connected to the rod and so he would have had to hold the line somewhat high to keep it from fouling or getting caught on obstructions in the water. I rarely use one when coarse fishing as I am ready to 'strike' quickly when there is any indication that a fish is at or on my bait.
QUESTiON 2:
Coarse fisherman using a cane pole or limb for a rod, typically connected their lines to the pole in one of two ways. First, they could simply tie the line to the pole. Second they could connect the line to a loop affixed to the end of the pole. I use the loop method with the original wood rod that I fish with, both coarse and when fly fishing. Loops were made with horse hair or linen or hemp line. On my rod I use a linen loop that is tied permanently to the rod tip, with an under wrap and over wrap to keep it firmly in place. The linen loop is stronger and longer lasting that a horse hair loop.
But I believe that most coarse fishermen using a cane pole or a limb would have simply tied the line directly to the pole/limb. That is how most modern cane pole fishermen still attach their lines and it is the same method that has been used for centuries.
They knot it to the tip of the pole or perhaps first fix it somewhat lower on the upper section in case the tip might break. Even with the horse hair line found in Washington's kit, it can be easily knotted to the upper section of a pole with simple half-hitches.
It can also be fixed to the pole with other line. I chose this method for the cane pole I use when fishing with the Washington tackle. Remember the horse hair line is ten to twelve feet long, so I typically have more line than I would want or need to go with my pole. So I chose to knot it to the pole with linen line about half way down the pole, and then wrap the line around the pole to the tip where I can fix it to the tip with either another piece of linen line or knot the horse hair to the with with some half-hitches. I believe most coarse anglers, and more than likely Washington himself, tied the horse hair (main) line to his pole or limb.
One last note. When fishing at Mount Vernon I hooked a very strong and feisty channel catfish. I landed it without incident, but it did literally bend the cane pole double as I fought it, and had the tip broken I still could have landed it as the line was fixed far down from the tip. Washington's lines, both the horse hair and silk twist are strong, and I have been fishing with them regularly for almost two years now and am still using the originally lines. and neither have broken off, even after numerous fish.
@@mountvernon That's a solid answer . thanks
How long is the Horsehair main line?