Fiction, Hunting & Fishing

The Complete Angler

Name: The Complete Angler
Author: Izaak Walton
ISBN: 9781617200854

by Izaak Walton

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Overview

First published in 1653, The Compleat Angler is a book that both informs and delights. Izaak Walton's classic celebration of fishing's subtle intricacies and the joys of submerging oneself, often quite literally, in the natural world is itself ingenious and reflective. A fisherman, hunter, and falconer discuss the merits of their respective pursuits. The "angler" argues that "the very sitting by the river's side is...the quietest and fittest place for contemplation," and details his favorite methods for catching, eating, and most effectively enjoying all varieties of fish. This modern English edition, illustrated by Arthur Rackham, brings The Compleat Angler to the attention of a new generation of readers, fishers, and nature lovers. As Thomas McGuane writes in his introduction, Izaak Walton's advice and instruction reach across time to remind us that "The Compleat Angler is not about how to fish but about how to be."

What keeps this 1653 classic on fishing alive is its celebration of the pleasures of the countryside and the moral virtue of a simple pastime. The Compleat Angler will reveal itself as a charming dialogue between an experienced angler named Piscator, Venator, his newfound disciple, and a fowler named Auceps.

Synopsis

The Compleat Angler was first published in 1653, but Walton continued to add to it for a quarter of a century. It is a celebration of the art and spirit of fishing in prose and verse; 6 verses were quoted from John Dennys's 1613 work Secrets of Angling.