Antique Fishing License the Paper Years

Not all fishing collectibles are specifically lure or reel related. In this gallery you see some great examples of Antique Fishing License.

Just as each state has there own regulations on tariffs, trade, property and income. On a micro or personal level the regulation of certain industries was left up to each state to implement. Whether it be for regulation, or taxation the fishing as an industry has been regulated for as long as there we organized governments capable of levying, collecting and exacting its rule. Providing and producing visual proof, the requiring of said licenses would have also been a product of its era’s grasp technology.

Chinese fishing vessels for example, in the early 1700’s were required to place wooden plaques on the bow or stern, which contained the information about the boat, its purpose, and its crew. While I don’t have any statistics to provide, Im sure the same would have been required of our English ancestors contingent on each fiefdom.

Antique Fishing Licenses as they pertain to US History

As it pertains to American history for example, the state of Oregon first required personal fishing licensing in 1901. This was the year after the sturgeon fishery had collapsed, due to the over fishing and under regulation. So we can see that this was not necessarily meant just as a means of revenue production for a state, but as a means for conservation and environmental regulation. You can see some nice early fishing scene artwork in this small gallery of California fishing licenses dating from 1924-1931. The 1924 depicts two anglers fly fishing stream side, adorned with creel and gear which harken back to a simpler time. The 1925 license depicting a fly fisherman landing his catch. The 1926 antique fishing license depicts a corn cob pipe adorned fly fisher, content and fixed upon his leader, his creel appears laden with the days spoils. As it moves on in years we see the removal of the fishing scene to a more business no nonsense form of identification which lead into the “pinback” and fishing “license plate” era.