7 h 21 minAudiobook14 minSummaryRead it, hear it, the 15-minute summary, and print and large print at cost
Audiobook edition · 7 h 21 minPaperback · 6 × 9 in · printing soonHardcover · 6 × 9 in · printing soonAbout this book
What if a walk beside the river could teach you as much about living as about catching fish?
In The Compleat Angler, Izaak Walton turns a country walk into a friendly conversation about fishing and the quiet life. Piscator, an older angler who knows the rivers, shares his knowledge with Venator. His aim reaches beyond the next catch: he wants to show why patience and small pleasures matter.
Along the water, practical advice sits beside songs, recipes and country talk. Walton explores the habits of freshwater fish, the choice of bait and tackle, and the attention that angling asks of you. The pleasure lies in both the fishing and the company, with room to pause and look around.
What you’ll discover
- A thoughtful riverside teacher Follow Piscator as he makes the case for angling as a patient, thoughtful art.
- The lives beneath water Meet trout, pike, carp, perch and eels through their habitats, food and habits.
- The craft of angling Explore how rods, lines, hooks and bait suit different fish and conditions.
- Songs and good company Enjoy old songs, recipes and conversation that give this fishing book its companionable warmth.
- Room for small pleasures Consider a calmer way of living through patience, close attention and love of the countryside.
Who will love it
This book will delight readers who love rivers and countryside, old songs and verse, and friendly talk between companions. It suits anyone drawn to practical craft or to a gentle case for contentment.
What’s inside
The key ideas, in the 15-minute summary
- Courtesy opens the way to friendship
- Angling brings thought and action together
- An angler must guard the water
- Care can change a poor reputation
- Knowledge must become skill through practice
- Watch closely and take losses lightly
- Each fish needs its own approach
- Good company enriches a modest meal
- Contentment matters more than wealth
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The Compleat Angler
by Izaak Walton · 1653
Three strangers walk toward Ware, and one of them sets out to turn a hunter into an angler.
Medium level2–5 hours to read2 languages
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In short
What would it take to turn a hunter into an angler in two days? On a fresh May morning, three men walk north from Tottenham Hill.
The Compleat Angler at a glance
- Reading time
- About 4 h 10 min3 h 15 min fast, 4 h 55 min slow
- Length
- 59,000 words
- Library level
- Medium longer sentences, everyday words
- First published
- 1653by Izaak Walton
Reading time at 238 words a minute (fast 300, slow 200). How long the classics take to read · Updated
From the 15-minute summary · Key idea 1
Three sportsmen each praise their own element
The book opens on a May morning on the road from Tottenham Hill toward Ware. Piscator, the angler, catches up with two strangers. Venator is a hunter, bound for a day of otter hunting. Auceps is a falconer, on his way to see a hawk.
They agree to ease the miles with talk. Piscator asks the others to praise their own sports first. Auceps speaks for the air, where his falcon climbs so high that she seems to talk with the gods. Venator speaks for the earth, with its stags and its hounds that follow one scent through a thousand others.
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Which edition is right for me
- 15-minute summary
- The key ideas of the whole book in about 14 minutes. A good first look, or a refresher.
Details
- First published
- 1653
- Language
- English
- Reading time
- 4 h 45 min
- Level
- Medium level
Cite this edition
Walton, Izaak. The Compleat Angler. Library of Alexandria, 2026, libraryofalexandria.com/products/the-compleat-angler.
Walton, I. (2026). The compleat angler. Library of Alexandria. https://libraryofalexandria.com/products/the-compleat-angler (Original work published 1653)
Walton, Izaak. The Compleat Angler. Library of Alexandria, 2026. https://libraryofalexandria.com/products/the-compleat-angler.
@book{walton2026compleat,
author = {Walton, Izaak},
title = {The Compleat Angler},
publisher = {Library of Alexandria},
year = {2026},
url = {https://libraryofalexandria.com/products/the-compleat-angler},
note = {First published 1653}
}
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What is The Compleat Angler about?
It is a friendly conversation over five days between Piscator, an angler, and Venator, a hunter who becomes his pupil. They discuss fishing, baits, flies, cooking, and the calm, thankful way of life that fishing encourages.
Who are Piscator and Venator?
Piscator is the angler who teaches, and Venator is the hunter who learns. The names come from Latin words for fisher and hunter. Piscator speaks for Walton himself, and Venator stands for the curious newcomer.
Is The Compleat Angler a true story or a how-to book?
It is both a practical guide and a made-up dialogue. Walton, who died in 1683, first printed it in 1653. The fishing advice, recipes, and natural lore are real, while the walk and the companions give it a story shape.
The author
Izaak Walton
1593–1683 · English author and biographer
Izaak Walton was an English author and biographer born in Stafford in 1593. He lived in London and later in Winchester, where he died in 1683. He published The Compleat Angler in 1653. He also wrote biographies of John Donne, Henry Wotton, Richard Hooker, George Herbert, and Robert Sanderson.
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