17th Century Pocket Survival Fishing Kit | Making and History. Scottish Highlands. 

Oh, another thing (in addition to my horse hair comment) pin in the era could be anything from a tiny 30mm (or for metric challenged Americans 1-1/4") needle to a 30cm (12") hatpin. most likely something like 55-100 mm long (before bending...) to catch salmon and larger trout. A salmon fly hook size 2/0 is roughly 37mm long (measured from just behind eye to bend) and a 5/0 is roughly 55mm. These measurement are on hooks in my fly-tying drawers, no guarantee every make/type is same size, just to give general idea. Also older hooks tend to be larger and thicker than what we use today for same type of fishing, mainly to compensate for much softer wire (mostly wrought iron or bronze, rarely hardened steel)

Two other books to reference are The Compleat Angler by Issac Walton, and the Colonial Angler by Ken Reinhard.Both are great reads. Walton is original material from 1653, Ken refers to Issac and many other some of witch is available on line. He also delves into make a horse hair line and a wooden pole. As well as tying Issacs old patterns, and offers substitute materials due to legality’s or scarceness. His book was published by Fox Books in Lancaster, Pennsylvania Tight lines!

Another project for me to try over the coming Summer.

Tom good day. I'm absolutely loving your series on all the primitive or handmade survival kits. The fishing line holder you made is actually a crude lucet. If you're not aware, but you probably are, the lucet is used to make strong cordage out of a single piece of twine. Depending on the thickness of the cord being used, that defines the thickness of the final result. I've used wool and hemp cord and am going to try some thin linen like you've used here. The wool piece I did would make great lacing for shoes or tying up the front of a vest. The hemp makes wonderful 'rope' to tie up your bedroll or the top and bottom runs for a seine net which I want to create. FYI, your cordage vid led me to ordering some combed natural hemp fibers and creating cordage. It's one thing for someone to tell you how strong this homemade cordage is but quite another to actually do it yourself and feeling how incredibly strong this stuff is. Again, love the vids and one of my bucket list items is to one day 'jump the pond' and participate in one of your overnight survival outings. Stay safe.

Nice video! At 4:40, you could use constrictor knots to attach your fishing pole eyes. One great thing about the constrictor knot is that since there are no sharp turns in the knot, you can use very basic fibrous material without worrying about it breaking from bending stresses within the knot.

Thank you very much for putting in historyk back ground!!

Brother Scott - Great Podcast!

I look forward to the next one

The kit looks awesome, can't wait to see how it goes. Cheers✌❤

I've always personally used sinew and bees wax to make all my cordage, fishing line, bow strings, slings, boot laces, necklaces etc; good strong stuff and very smooth when waxed great for fishing, easy to get consistent long lengths quickly too. Caught an 8 pound steelhead on that line and snared dozens of rabbits. 👍

Quite cool, Tom. Ill be looking forward to next weeks “catch and cook” 😋

CHEERS from California !

I finally found Frodo!! been searching for year....

I never thought the Scottish climate could support hemp crops, excellent video!👀

Really enjoyed watching your video content , like historical content and information, epic👍🥳

Your attention to detail is great, not to mention the time and effort put into filming the details of making the fishing gear/equipment. I think your "guess work" is accurate from experience, research, and patience rather than guessing. Another information video, very much looking forward to application, now.

What was that striped one you caught in the intro? As a Tennessean it's interesting what people catch in other parts of the world that I've never even seen.

Well done

Thats a fine looking fishing kit. I look forward to seeing it put to use.

Looking forward to you using all this!

This channel is awesome!

Brilliant kit! Love the channel!

Can’t wait for you to try this gear 👍🏼👍🏼

You sir, are a highly skilled outdoor individual. Respect to you, keep on going, really love what you teach and share

Try using a quill from a feather as a float my grandad used them

Great vids as always mate

Can't wait for the next video!

WAY COOL ! TAKE CARE..

Great stuff Tom.

Great video . Nice kit, really enjoyed this one . Iv just been getting a hobo reel which I will be making a video on for my channel, thanks for sharing ATB jimmy

I love the wild and the live

Do they have Dogbane in the UK? Sometimes it's called hemp Dogbane so maybe it falls under the hemp restrictions. Grows wild in a lot of places here and is a VERY strong plant fiber.

Always enjoy your wildly informative videos on primitive ways people used to live. Thank you for taking the time to do all of this can't wait for the next installment on the series. Hopefully one day I'll be able to come and take a class .

Well done mate another good informative video.

I looove fishing, and man, this is so cool! Well done.

Very interesting as always Tom. Looking forward to the test camp or cast in this case. Nate

Why are your vids so good

I really like your oilskin wrap, I am going to replicate that.

Truly amazing and you should do an update sometime soon on the sgian dubh project you’re working on

Well done Tom :-)

It's all coming together...

very interesting , cant wait to see you fish with it

We call them floaters, bobbers in the U.S just in case you didnt know.

Nice video!

If you look up George Washington’s fishing kit it has some peices from the late 1700s but fishing hadn’t changed nearly at all since the 1500s at that point

it would make my day if you catch a fish on those hooks

I love this it is so interesting. : )

6 fish gave this cool video a fins down.

I want to see if you can really catch fish with your primitive kit? Very good, thank you for sharing.

Es excelente aprender esto, nuestros antepasados no pescaban con cañas de fibra de vidrio,anzuelos de acero y reel Shimado, si ellos lo hicieron ,nosotros tambien podemos hacerlo.

Great video. Do you think this something that would or could be carried in a sporran

Probably had a smallish net as well as the stuff in your kit

What are you using as weights? Are you useing split shot from musket balls? Or just rocks?

What was that book with the crooked pin reference?

Now to lift the flying restrictions! I will make my way to Scotland to have a sip of fine whiskey and camp with you on these wonderful expeditions in my kilt!

Is there a new video about the new sgian dubh

:-)

Lol lol lol lol

I'm glad I'm living 21st century America because I cannot wear Kilt like my ancestors in the highlands of Scotland did

The fish populations are properly less now days making it harder to catch them

I like your vids so far and I plan to watch the whole Highlands series. BUT PLEASE, please don't 'dog ear' your books. It made me literally stop the vid to type this. Please make a bookmark. You can see if you can make a period one for your channel.

It seems ridiculous to need a license from the government to grow something that's been there for over a thousand years.