Open Country

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Countryside magazine featuring the people and wildlife that shape the landscape of Britain

Countryside magazine featuring the people and wildlife that shape the landscape of the British Isles

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Open Country: The Book, the Fish and the Dove

The Book, the Fish and the Dove

BBC Radio 4 - Open Country, The Book, the Fish and the Dove

The River Dove inspires this tale of Izaak Walton: fisherman, philosopher and writer.

The Compleat Angler by Izaak Walton is arguably the most famous fishing book every written. Published nearly 400 years ago, it still inspires fishermen today.

It's fast approaching 400 years since The Compleat Angler, arguably the most famous fishing manual ever to have been written, was first published. Often referred to as the “bible” of the angler, it has sold more copies than the St John’s Bible and only been out of print once. Its author, Sir Izaak Walton, was a fisherman, writer and philosopher. Open Country celebrates the life, writing and legacy of Walton by visiting the cottage in Shallowford which he bought and is now a museum, and joining a group of fishermen on the River Dove where Walton loved to fish with his great friend Charles Cotton, to learn about "The Art of Angling" and the legacy of Walton. 

Presenter Helen Mark.  Producer Sarah Blunt.

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