Dr. Sam Snyder sent us this image and background on what is a very early example of fishing for fun.
Apparently, fish were kept in large stock tanks. The Egyptian nobles would come in, sit in comfy chairs, and catch the fish. This is one of the earliest examples of "fishing for fun." And it appears, that they might have been proto-fly fishing, as they used insects on hooks for bait.
This info and the pic are taken from (Pitcher, T.J and Hollingworth, C.E. Recreational Fisheries: Ecological, Economic, and Social Evaluation. Oxford: Blackwell Press. 2002).