ANCIENT ANGLING AUTHORS 99 



(ever since) of Georgics and Pastoral : An Author 1 

 who has writ latest of Angling says: "This Art seems 

 to have arrived at its highest Perfection almost at 

 once, and to have been the same in Mr Walton, as 

 that of Poetry was in Homer. The Improvements 

 that are made by the Generality of later Writers, are 

 indeed so few, and for the most Part so trivial, 

 rather adding to, and perplexing his Words, like the 

 Commentators on the Greek Poet, than either clearing 

 up or enlarging his Sense ; that I could not," says 

 he, " but wonder at seeing so much done to so little 

 Purpose." They, at best, do but every one, repre- 

 sent the Jay in his furtive Plumes ; the reading of 

 this Volume will detect them, and sink their Value, 

 by restoring all they have injuriously borrowed, to 

 their right Owner. 



If the Compleat Angler were to be considered and 

 estimated solely on the ground of the originality of 

 its teaching, I am afraid that Walton would be 

 stripped of some of his plumes. 



The " twelve kinds of artificial made flies " de- 

 scribed by Walton are clearly taken from Leonard 

 MascalPs Booke of Fishing. The directions for fly- 

 fishing are taken from Barker, and the source of the 

 instructions is acknowledged ; Walton is also in- 

 debted to Barker for his description of the method 

 of fishing with the natural fly. 



Walton evidently writes with more authority when 

 he deals with the coarse fish, and with spinning 

 for trout; his description of the latter method and 

 the directions he gives for baiting the hook are a 

 distinct advance on Barker's instructions for spinning. 

 1 John Williamson in The British Angler \ 1740. 



