The　Complete　Angler
  by　Izaak　Walton
  To　the　Right　worshipful
  John　Offley
  of　Madeley　Manor；　in　the　County　of　Stafford　Esquire；　My　most　honoured　Friend
  Sir；　I　have　made　so　ill　use　of　your　former　favours；　as　by　them　to　be　encouraged　to　entreat；　that　they　may　be　enlarged　to　the　patronage　and　protection　of　this　Book：　and　I　have　put　on　a　modest　confidence；　that　I　shall　not　be　denied；　because　it　is　a　discourse　of　Fish　and　Fishing；　which　you　know　so　well；　and　both　love　and　practice　so　much。
  You　are　assured；　though　there　be　ignorant　men　of　another　belief；　that　Angling　is　an　Art：　and　you　know　that　Art　better　than　others；　and　that　this　is　truth　is　demonstrated　by　the　fruits　of　that　pleasant　labour　which　you　enjoy；　when　you　purpose　to　give　rest　to　your　mind；　and　divest　yourself　of　your　more　serious　business；　and；　which　is　often；　dedicate　a　day　or　two　to　this　recreation。
  At　which　time；　if　common　Anglers　should　attend　you；　and　be　eyewitnesses　of　the　success；　not　of　your　fortune；　but　your　skill；　it　would　doubtless　beget　in　them　an　emulation　to　be　like　you；　and　that　emulation　might　beget　an　industrious　diligence　to　be　so；　but　I　know　it　is　not　　attainable　by　common　capacities：　and　there　be　now　many　men　of　great　wisdom；　learning；　and　experience；　which　love　and　practice　this　Art；　that　know　I　speak　the　truth。
  Sir；　this　pleasant　curiosity　of　Fish　and　Fishing；　of　which　you　are　so　great　a　master；　has　been　thought　worthy　the　pens　and　practices　of　divers　in　other　nations；　that　have　been　reputed　men　of　great　learning　and　wisdom。　And　amongst　those　of　this　nation；　I　remember　Sir　Henry　Wotton；　a　dear　lover　of　this　Art；　has　told　me；　that　his　intentions　were　to　write　a　Discourse　of　the　Art；　and　in　praise　of　Angling；　and　doubtless　he　had　done　so；　if　death　had　not　prevented　him；　the　remembrance　of　which　had　often　made　me　sorry；　for　if　he　had　lived　to　do　it；　then　the　unlearned　Angler　had　seen　some　better　treatise　of　this　Art；　a　treatise　that　might　have　proved　worthy　his　perusal；　which；　though　some　have　undertaken；　I　could　never　yet　see　in　English。
  But　mine　may　be　thought　as　weak；　and　as　unworthy　of　common　view；　and　I　do　here　freely　confess；　that　I　should　rather　excuse　myself；　than　censure　others；　my　own　discourse　being　liable　to　so　many　exceptions；　against　which　you；　Sir；　might　make　this　one；　that　it　can　contribute　nothing　to　YOUR　knowledge。　And　lest　a　longer　epistle　may　diminish　your　pleasure；　I　shall　make　this　no　longer　than　to　add　this　following　truth；　that　I　am　really；　Sir；　your　most　affectionate　Friend；　and　most　humble　Servant；
  Iz。　Wa。
  The　epistle　to　the　reader
  To　all　Readers　of　this　discourse；　but　especially　to　the　honest　Angler
  I　think　fit　to　tell　thee　these　following　truths；　that　I　did　neither　undertake；　nor　write；　nor　publish；　and　much　less　own；　this　Discourse　to　please　myself：　and；　having　been　too　easily　drawn　to　do　all　to　please　others；　as　I　propose　not　the　gaining　of　credit　by　this　undertaking；　so　I　would　not　willingly　lose　any　part　of　that　to　which　I　had　a　just　title　before　I　began　it；　and　do　therefore　desire　and　hope；　if　I　deserve　not　commendations；　yet　I　may　obtain　pardon。
  And　though　this　Discourse　may　be　liable　to　some　exceptions；　yet　I　cannot　doubt　but　that　most　Readers　may　receive　so　much　pleasure　or　profit　by　it；　as　may　make　it　worthy　the　time　of　their　perusal；　if　they　be　not　too　grave　or　too　busy　men。　And　this　is　all　the　confidence　that　I　can　put　on；　concerning　the　merit　of　what　is　here　offered　to　their　consideration　and　censure；　and　if　the　last　prove　too　severe；　as　I　have　a　liberty；　so　I　am　resolved　to　use　it；　and　neglect　all　sour　censures。
  And　I　wish　the　Reader　also　to　take　notice；　that　in　writing　of　it　I　have　made　myself　a　recreation　of　a　recreation；　and　that　it　might　prove　so　to　him；　and　not　read　dull　and　tediously；　I　have　in　several　places　mixed；　not　any　scurrility；　but　some　innocent；　harmless　mirth；　of　which；　if　thou　be　a　severe；　sour…complexioned　man；　then　I　here　disallow　thee　to　be　a　competent　judge；　for　divines　say；　there　are　offences　given；　and　offences　not　given　but　taken。
  And　I　am　the　willinger　to　justify　the　pleasant　part　of　it；　because　though　it　is　known　I　can　be　serious　at　seasonable　times；　yet　the　whole　Discourse　is；　or　rather　was；　a　picture　of　my　own　disposition；　especially　in　such　days　and　times　as　I　have　laid　aside　business；　and　gone　a…fishing　with　honest　Nat。　and　R。　Roe；　but　they　are　gone；　and　with　them　most　of　my　pleasant　hours；　even　as　a　shadow　that　passeth　away　and　returns　not。
  And　next　let　me　add　this；　that　he　that　likes　not　the　book；　should　like　the　excellent　picture　of　the　Trout；　and　some　of　the　other　fish；　which　I　may　take　a　liberty　to　commend；　because　they　concern　not　myself。
  Next；　let　me　tell　the　Reader；　that　in　that　which　is　the　more　useful　part　of　this　Discourse；　that　is　to　say；　the　observations　of　the　nature　and　breeding；　and　seasons；　and　catching　of　fish；　I　am　not　so　simple　as　not　to　know；　that　a　captious　reader　may　find　exceptions　against　something　said　of　some　of　these；　and　therefore　I　must　entreat　him　to　con。　eider；　that　experience　teaches　us　to　know　that　several　countries　alter　the　time；　and　I　think；　almost　the　manner；　of　fishes'　breeding；　but　doubtless　of　their　being　in　season；　as　may　appear　by　three　rivers　in　Monmouthshire；　namely；　Severn；　Wye；　and　Usk；　where　Camden　observes；　that　in　the　river　Wye；　Salmon　are　in　season　from　September　to　April；　and　we　are　certain；　that　in　Thames　and　Trent；　and　in　most　other　rivers；　they　be　in　season　the　six　hotter　months。
  Now　for　the　Art　of　catching　fish；　that　is　to　say；　How　to　make　a　man　that　was　none　to　be　an　Angler　by　a　book；　he　that　undertakes　it　shall　undertake　a　harder　task　than　Mr。　Hales；　a　most　valiant　and　excellent　fencer；　who　in　a　printed　book　called　A　Private　School　of　Defence　undertook　to　teach　that　art　or　science；　and　was　laughed　at　for　his　labour。　Not　but　that　many　useful　things　might　be　learned　by　that　book；　but　he　was　laughed　at　because　that　art　was　not　to　be　taught　by　words；　but　practice：　and　so　must　Angling。　And　note　also；　that　in　this　Discourse　I　do　not　undertake　to　say　all　that　is　known；　or　may　be　said　of　it；　but　I　undertake　to　acquaint　the　Reader　with　many　things　that　are　not　usually　known　to　every　Angler；　and　I　shall　leave　gleanings　and　observations　enough　to　be　made　out　of　the　experience　of　all　that　love　and　practice　this　recreation；　to　which　I　shall　encourage　them。　For　Angling　may　be　said　to　be　so　like　the　Mathematicks；　that　it　can　never　be　fully　learnt；　at　least　not　so　fully；　but　that　there　will　still　be　more　new　experiments　left　for　the　trial　of　other　men　that　succeed　us。
  But　I　think　all　that　love　this　game　may　here　learn　something　that　may　be　worth　their　money；　if　they　be　not　poor　and　needy　men：　and　in　case　they　be；　I　then　wish　them　to　forbear　to　buy　it；　for　I　write　not　to　get　money；　but　for　pleasure；　and　this　Discourse　boasts　of　no　more；　for　I　hate　to　promise　much；　and　deceive　the　Reader。
  And　however　it　proves　to　him；　yet　I　am　sure　I　have　found　a　high　content　in　the　search　and　conference　of　what　is　here　offered　to　the　Reader's　view　and　censure。　I　wish　him　as　much　in　the　perusal　of　it；　and　so　I　might　here　take　my　leave；　but　will　stay　a　little　and　tell　him；　that　whereas　it　is　said　by　many；　that　in　fly…fishing　for　a　Trout；　the　Angler　must　observe　his　twelve　several　flies　for　the　twelve　months　of　the　year；　I　say；　he　that　follows　that　rule；　shall　be　as　sure　to　catch　fish；　and　be　as　wise；　as　he　that　makes　hay　by　the　fair　days　in　an　Almanack；　and　no　surer；　for　those　very　flies　that　used　to　appear　about；　and　on；　the　water　in　one　month　of　the　year；　may　the　following　year　come　almost　a　month　sooner　or　later；　as　the　same　year　proves　colder　or　hotter：　and　yet；　in　the　following　Discourse；　I　have　set　down　the　twelve　flies　that　are　in　reputation　with　many　anglers；　and　they　may　serve　to　give　him　some　observations　concerning　them。　And　he　may　note；　that　there　are　in　Wales；　and　other　countries；　peculiar　flies；　proper　to　the　particular　place　or　country；　and　doubtless；　unless　a　man　makes　a　fly　to　counterfeit　that　very　fly　in　that　place；　he　is　like　to　lose　his　labour；　or　much　of　it；　but　for　the　generality；　three　or　four　flies　neat　and　rightly　made；　and　not　too　big；　serve　for　a　Trout　in　most　rivers；　all　the　summer：　and　for　winter　fly…　fishing　it　is　as　useful　as　an　Almanack　out　of　date。　And　of　these；　because　as　no　man　is　born　an　artist；　so　no　man　is　born　an　Angler；　I　thought　fit　to　give　thee　this　notice。
  When　I　have　told　the　reader；　that　in　this　fifth　impression　there　are　many　enlargements；　gathered　both　by　my　own　observation；　and　the　communication　with　friends；　I　shall　stay　him　no　longer　than　to　wish　him　a　rainy　evening　to　read　this　following　Discourse；　and　that　if　he　be　an　honest　Angler；　the　east　wind　may　never　blow　when　he　goes　a…　fishing。
  I。　W。
  The　first　day
  A　Conference　betwixt　an　Angler；　a　Falconer；　and　a　Hunter；　each　commending　his　Recreation
  Chapter　I
  Piscator；　Venator；　Auceps
  Piscator。　You　are　well　overtaken；　Gentlemen！　A　good　morning　to　you　both！　I　have　stretched　my　legs　up　Tottenham　Hill　to　overtake　you；　hoping　your　business　may　occasion　you　towards　Ware　whither　I　am　going　this　fine　fresh　May　morning。
  Venator。　Sir；　I；　for　my　part；　shall　almost　answer　your　hopes；