Scarborough: A medieval fishing rod

Of the hundreds of implements we are using on set, some farming, forestry and pottery implements are still in common use. However, just as many fabulous items - and machines - have fallen out of common use and are starting to fade from memory. Pity the Cooper's lot and the loss of churns, piggins, scuttles and casks from domestic life - all within my lifetime. 

Today we had a little fun adding the medieval fishing rod to this collection. The model was recreated from a description in the Treatyse of Fishing with an Angle (1495) which calls for three parts (which can be disassembled to avoid detection): a 3m base rod, which connected to a 1m mid rod, and then a flexible 1m end rod, to which the fishing cord was tied. The late medieval rod was a 5m affair braced with metal bands - here we have built a smaller rod braced with cord.

I cannot imagine that these were taken onto the fisher fleet of Cobel, which trailed 4-5 fishing cords baited with multiple hooks.