Piscatorial Society

The Piscatorial Society is one of the oldest angling societies in England, if not the world. It was founded in 1836 and still flourishes today. It leases fly fishing water on a number of chalk streams in Hampshire and Wiltshire, including the Wylie, the Test, the Itchen and the Hampshire Avon. It no longer has a base in London, but maintains a Rod Room on the Avon at the village of Lake. Although members originally fished for all sorts of fish (the society's crest still represents the head of a pike), the society now concentrates on fishing for brown trout and grayling with upstream dry fly or unweighted nymph imitations dressed lightly in the style of G.E.M. Skues.

History

The first meeting of which the Minutes survive took place of November 2nd, 1837, and at this meeting it was resolved to have a card engraved for presentation to members. This card bears the inscription:

The Piscatorial Society - Established 16th October, 1837 - For promoting friendly intercourse and mutual information among the lovers of the Art of Angling -Held at the 'Marquis of Granby,' South Audley Street" [Hammond, P.M. (editor) (Andover,1936) "The Book of the Piscatorial Society 1836-1936"]

References