The Compleat Angler

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 "The Secrets of Angling". It was dedicated to John Offley, his most honoured friend. Izaak Walton (circa 1594 - 15 December 1683) was an English writer. Best known as the author of The Compleat Angler, he also wrote a number of short biographies that have been collected under the title of "Walton's Lives". Walton was born at Stafford in the West Midlands and settled in London where he worked as a merchant in a small shop in the upper storey of Thomas Gresham's Exchange in Cornhill. After retiring in 1644, the last forty years of his life were spent visiting eminent clergymen and others who enjoyed fishing, compiling the biographies of people he liked, and collecting information for the Compleat Angler.