A Concise Treatise on the Art of Angling – Thomas Best – 1802 | Fishing & Trolling

A Concise Treatise on the Art of Angling by Thomas Best stands among the most referenced works on the history of fishing. This 1802 fifth edition provides practical methods for fishing success with observations from first-hand experience. Unlike earlier works that were often compendiums of anecdote, Best’s treatise sought to distill useful knowledge for anglers that supported traditional fishing techniques and lore. It expands into artificial flies, baits, trolling, game laws, and the role of rivers in the English landscape, with a particular focus on the Thames.

Bibliographic Details

• Title: A Concise Treatise on the Art of Angling, Confirmed by Actual Experience
• Author(s): Thomas Best
• Publisher: Printed for B. Crosby and Co., London
• Edition: Fifth Edition, 1802
• Format: (12mo), single volume
• Binding: Modern full leather, gilt title on spine
• Size:  7 in x 4.5 in (17.8 cm x 11.4 cm)
• Collation: 186 pp
• Illustrations:
• Contents Include:
  • General description of fish according to natural history
  • Making and choosing rods, lines, hooks
  • General baits for angling
  • Description of flies
  • Rules and hints of angling
  • Types of fish with their seasons and rivers
  • On making fishponds
  • Artificial fly-angling
  • Necessary materials
  • Principal rivers of England, especially the Thames
  • Rules to judge the barometer
  • Nobb’s Art of Trolling
  • Game laws of angling
• Provenance: six pages of handwritten notes on flies and baits

Condition:

Bound in modern leather with gilt spine lettering, this copy is tight and secure with clean text throughout. Pages show mild age toning

Why Collect This?

• Includes both practical instruction and legal references
• Appeals to collectors of early angling and sporting books

Item Number: #29254