Introduction to the Compleat Angler

The introduction compiles documentary research and earlier authorities to outline Izaak Walton’s life, tracing family origins, trade, friendships, marriages, losses, and later retirement, and assessing his character through his biographical writings. It intersperses literary commentary on religious temper, poetic tastes, and associations with clergy and contemporaries with reflections on angling as pastime and moral practice, compares past and present fishing methods, and cites illustrative passages from Walton’s predecessors. Short anecdotes, editorial notes on publication history and editional reception, and a measured appraisal of Walton’s manner complete the portrait.