The Secrets of Angling was a book written by John Dennys. It was the earliest English poetical treatise on fishing, first published in 1613 in London. A didactic pastoral poem in 3 books, in the style of Virgil's Georgics. It was published in 4 editions until 1652, examples of which are amongst the rarest books in existence. Dennys's poem was published anonymously, 4 years posthumously, and for 198 years the poem was misattributed, its authorship remaining a mystery until 1811.
First published in 1613, Dennys's book was published after his death. The author was identified by the initials J.D., and had been attributed to up to 6 poets. In 1811 the authorship was determined from a "23mo Martii, 1612" entry in the Stationers' Registers, which showed that Dennys authored the book. The Secrets of Angling was published in 4 editions, the last in 1652, and copies are amongst the rarest books in existence. The Secrets of Angling was the earliest English poetical treatise on fishing. Morgan George Watkins stated that the "tone of the poem is religious. It is full of lofty sentiments and natural descriptions, a poetical atmosphere surrounding even the commonest tools of the angler's craft."
The third verse of Book 1 refers to the rivers Boyd and Avon, and the villages of Doynton and Wick:
Woodcut illustrations
The woodcut in the 1613 edition title represents an angler with a fish on his hook, and the motto, "Well fayre the pleasure that brings such treasure," and a man treading on a serpent with a sphere at the end of his rod and line labelled, "Hold hooke and line, then all is mine." The second edition, conjectured to be about 1620, is "augmented with approved experiments" by Lauson, and has the same woodcut on the title. The third edition, which may be 1630, was "printed at London for John" , has a slightly different woodcut, with a varied motto, "Well feare the Pleasure, That yeelds such Treasure." The woodcut in the 4th edition title of the other editions here figures as frontispiece, the angler being dressed in the costume of a later period, and the flowers, foliage, etc., a little modified.
Literary Merit
Bibliotheca Piscatoria recorded Thomas Westwood's description of Dennys, whom he found to be among the foremost writers and poets about angling. Similarly, Osmuch Lambert offers praise: "Dennys was both poet and angler born; his verses are admired and bespeak a natural love of the art whose praises he so quaintly sings." James Wilson said that his work "is remarkable for its beauty," part of which has been quoted by Walton. Biographer Morgan George Watkins wrote that: "The author has chosen a measure at once sweet and full of power, and its interlinked melodies lure the reader onwards with much the same kind of pleasure as the angler experiences, who follows the murmuring of a favourite trout stream." Marie Loretto Lilly stated in her book The Georgic that The Secrets of Angling "is not a great poem, but it should hold an honoured place for sweetness of verse, for its beauty of description and for the lessons that the poet so gently and happily teaches."
Editions
First edition: I.D. Esquire.. The Secrets of Angling. London: Roger Jackson. 30 leaves.
Second edition: I.D. Esquire. The Secrets of Angling. London: Roger Jackson. 35 leaves. It had annotations by William Lawson.
Third edition: I.D. Esquire. The Secrets of Angling. London: John Jackson.
Fourth edition: J.D. Esquire. The Secrets of Angling. London: T.H. for John Har. 36 leaves.
Reprints were made in 1809, 1811-1813, 1877, 1883, 1885.
