ANCIENT ANGLING AUTHORS 



CHAPTER I 



THE earliest description of fishing in the English 

 language occurs in ^Elfric's Colloquy, to which the 

 Rev. W. Skeat, Professor of Anglo-Saxon at 

 Cambridge, was the first to draw attention in a 

 paper, entitled "The Oldest English Treatise on 

 Fishing," which he contributed to the Anglers' Note 

 Book. The colloquy was written by ^Elfric the 

 Abbot, about the end of the tenth century, to teach 

 his pupils Latin, and for this purpose was written in 

 English (Anglo-Saxon), with the Latin translation 

 beneath. It is arranged as a conversation between 

 the master and his pupil, the latter in turns figuring 

 as a huntsman, a fisherman, and a falconer ; thus : 



Hwylcne craeft canst thu ? 

 M\agister\ Qualem artem scis tu ? 



Ic eom Fiscere 

 P\iscator\, Ego sum Piscator. 



1 A 



