Chapter IV -The Compleat Angler

In the fourth chapter of “The Compleat Angler,” we continue exploring the art of fishing with Piscator, Venator, along with a Milk-woman, her daughter Maudlin, and the Hostess. Piscator elaborates on the nature and virtue of trouts, describing them as fish of high value. He notes that like deer, trouts have seasons, thriving and declining in tune with the stag and buck, suggesting a natural synchrony with the land’s rhythms. Piscator shares that trouts prefer swift streams and hard gravel, contending for daintiness of taste among freshwater fish. Interestingly, Piscator points out the variety of trout sizes and qualities across different regions, from the large trouts of Lake Geneva to the small ones in a Kent brook.

Piscator further distinguishes between trouts based on their period and place of breeding, mentioning the peculiar Fordidge Trout of Canterbury, rumored never to bite at an angle due to its diet or mystical nature. This part of their discourse wanders into a contemplation of nature’s mysteries, drawing parallels between fish, birds, and insects that live and thrive against common understanding.

Upon catching a handsome trout, Piscator plans to share a meal with Venator, celebrating their catch and the day’s end. Their conversation takes a pleasant detour when they encounter a milk-woman and her daughter, Maudlin, permitting a momentary suspension of their piscatorial pursuits in favor of song. The milk-woman and Maudlin share songs of love, nature, and the simplicity of pastoral life, echoing the serene and harmonious relationship between humans and nature that “The Compleat Angler” consistently venerates.

The chapter closes with the anglers being called to supper by the hostess, excited at the prospect of reuniting with Piscator’s brother Peter and a friend. Throughout, the narrative weaves between the technicalities of fishing, reflections on the natural world, and the joy derived from simple, pastoral pleasures. This blend of instruction, philosophy, and leisure illustrates the larger themes of “The Compleat Angler”: an appreciation for the art of angling and a deep reverence for the rhythms and mysteries of the natural world.