As an approaching "old-timer" brought up on the North Sea coast I'm sure
it was sometime in the early- to mid-1950s that ordinary commerical and
sport line fishermen saw the switch from hemp (cannabis-fibre - in the pre
1961 days when this was still totally legal) to nylon.  This was a pretty
nasty monofilament originally - and of course environmentally very
unfriendly. I would guess that more sophisticated woven (or more
accurately plaited) line e.g. for fly fishing began to emerge in the late
1960s.

Lateral thought: the monofilament was dreadful to use and in particular
extrremely difficult to tie, so many completely new knots had to be
invented for it.  Try looking out for discussion and description of these
in both fishing and knot-tieing (e.g. Boy Scout) publications of the
period.

Patrick Boylan

===================================================

> Dr H La Rue wrote:
> >
> > Does anyone know where I could find out when nylon (or synthetic) fishing
> > line was first produced, or when it was first used?  I know that Nylon
> > dates from 1938 and nylons (ladies stockings) from 1939 but what about the
> > use of nylon in cable form?
> >
> >         Hope someone out there might have a clue for me or the name, and
> > address, of someone who might know.