The True Art of Angling, or The Best and Speediest Way of taking all sorts of Fresh-Water Fish with the worm, fly, paste and other baits in their proper seasons; how to know the haunts of fish and angle for them in all waters and weathers, at the top middle and bottom, baiting of the ground and night baits, oyls and ointments, baits natural and artificial, the several ways of angling, to make oyl of aspen and many rare secrets never before made publick, containing the whole body of angling and mystery of a complete angler.

J.S. [John Smith]

Published by Conyers (probably). London, 1770

About this Item

This copy with no title page. Header on every page reads, The True Art of Angling. Unknown printer & unknown edition, although: This copy is 164 pages. The fourth edition (1714), fifth edition (1725), sixth edition (173-?), seventh edition (1740), tenth edition (1740), and eleventh edition (1750?) of this work are all 164 pages. Also published in 1770 and later, but number of pages is uncertain in those editions. All copies printed in London. George Conyers published all the editions before 1740. All the above-mentioned editions are printed in twenty-fourmo (24 pages per signature), as is this copy. All the above mentioned copies have 1 plate, as does this one. Originally published in 1696 & reprinted a dozen times or more in the next 50 years. [all bibliographical information taken from the Bulletin of the NY Public Library; vol XIII. 1909. List of works on the NY Public Library relating to Fishing and Fish Culture. This copy bound in full leather. 164 pages. Lacking endpapers and title page. First page present is the frontispiece, followed by the first page of text which is numbered 1 . Last page is numbered 164. No rear endpapers. Book measures 2.25 x 4.25 . Plain brown leather binding with blind rules at the borders, spine blank. There are 8 woodcuts illustrating the book, all within the text. They are crude but recognizable species of fish: pize, carp, pearch, tench, bream, barbel, trout and eel. If we consider recreations aright, they are intended to refresh the Mind, and unbend our Cares after Toil, Labour or Study, and therefore ought not to be pursued with too much fatigue, lest they appear more like to business than pleasure and so in the end become pall d and tiresome; but when leisure Hours will admit, they are very convenient to sweeten the cares of life. Among these, Angling is held by all the Ingenious the most diverting for those that are Contemplative; and tho it requires much Ingenuity, yet it is perform d with little labour… pages 1-2. To be most sure of finding the Trout address your angle to small purling brooks or swift gliding rivers, not too great, observe whether their bottoms are pebble, gravel or smooth stones; for on the sides of there he usually has his residence, tho is is often found in the deep, especially a large one, also behind Banks, Blocks, Stones, at Turnings of Points where the stream much beats or makes a kind of whirling; he loves coverture and shade from whence he may most easily seize his prey, but his Hold or Hole is usually in deep places; he s seldom found among weeds, rather among the boughs of trees that hang in the water or shady Bushes; he plys in the spring at the tail of the stream…. Pages 73-74. Margins are narrow, but do not seem to have been trimmed. Pages evenly toned but without foxing or stains. Overall as good condition as you will allow, considering the missing title page.

Seller Inventory # Fred-W206

Bibliographic Details

• Title: The True Art of Angling, or The Best and Speediest Way of taking all sorts of Fresh-Water Fish with the worm, fly, paste and other baits in their proper seasons; how to know the haunts of fish and angle for them in all waters and weathers, at the top middle and bottom, baiting of the ground and night baits, oyls and ointments, baits natural and artificial, the several ways of angling, to make oyl of aspen and many rare secrets never before made publick, containing the whole body of angling and ...
• Publisher: Conyers (probably). London
• Publication Date: 1770
• Binding: Hardcover
• Condition: Good