The Complete Angler - Full length version

The Complete Angler is a film by James Prosek (artist/writer), Fritz Mitchell (producer/editor) and Peter Franchella (cinematographer). It documents Prosek's travels as he walks in the footsteps of the 17th century English writer, Izaak Walton—"research" for his senior thesis at Yale. The film focuses on Walton's book, The Compleat Angler, a book that many have heard of but few have actually read.

Chapter 1 - James leaves Connecticut for Ireland and England, catching a few trout in his home streams and musing about his youth, fishing, and some Waltonian ideals. He visits the library at Yale and examines a first edition of Walton's Compleat Angler from 1653. Then he sits for a reading of Yeat's poem, The Song of Wandering Aengus, by Harold Bloom.

Chapter 2 - James goes to Ireland to experience the earliest form of fly-fishing, dapping live mayflies impaled on fine-wire hooks for brown trout on the lakes of the Connemara region. He visits with a boy who collects and sells live mayflies to the fishermen, and salmon fishes along the Eriff River.

Chapter 3 - James fishes a tributary of the Thames in London that Walton fished three hundred and fifty years before, the River Lea. Walton was forced out of London during the English Civil War and returned to the pastoral beauty of his homeland in Derbyshire and the beautiful River Dove in the Peak District.

Chapter 4 - James visits the "fishing temple" on the River Dove, which Charles Cotton (considered the father of modern fly-fishing) built in honor of his friend Izaak Walton.

Chapter 5 - James fishes with Sir John Swire, an upper-class Englishman who talks about his love of fishing and of Izaak Walton's ideals and life philosophy.

Chapter 6 - James visits Victoria Wakefield who helped him secure fishing on the renowned chalk streams, the Test and Itchen in Hampshire. She introduces him to Roger Harrison, who owns a beautiful stretch of water on the Itchen with lots of wild trout. There, James encounters a milkmaiden.

Final Chapter - James visits Izaak Walton's grave in a chapel in Winchester Cathedral, and discusses the last years of his life. Then he sings a song in a meadow by the river and returns to the fishing at the pond near his home in Connecticut.

Category:

Film & Animation

Tags:

• rosek
• franchella
• mitchell
• fly fishing
• trout
• walton
• way upstream
• video
• yeats
• bloom
• poetry
• yale
• space garderning science

[wayupstream1]

glad you like it josh. keep the line in the water and believe in every cast.

[wayupstream1]

upload size changed recently to allow for larger files

[flickincool]

Amazing

Iv not long taken up the art of fly fishing although iv been an angler for more years than I can remember, this video is inspiring

[edchen1954]

Dreaming about the complete Angler, Flyfishing is so amazing, and a philosophy, be a part of the nature .

[silverleapers]

Beautiful.......exceptionally done!

[edshot74]

i'm sur ejulian chidgey fished here for chub and barbel.

[pikemancolley]

@ADAMcoolwaterfish here here how can any angler not love a homage to the father of all fishermen

[MrTroutguy]

DO NOT use corn to fish. It kills the fish - blocks there intestinal track. Seriously, I know from experience. Great Video though. Thanks.

[pikemancolley]

@jotatanka they are my friend, great fishing in the british isles, we dont kill fish only the odd trout

[zenlespaul]

One word: beautiful.



[DirtyCs]

Excellent, you capture the essence, many fail to experience in our modern times. I love the quote a writer/artist can transcend classes... but can't help wish it was simple to fish freely when/where you liked, rather than being priviliged/charged. Maybe then angling could be enjoyed by more and have a better protected future. I also think you missed quoting your fello american Thoreau explaining why you fish with "Many men go fishing all their lives without knowing it is not fish they are after"

[ACIMpsychology]

Thanks to Art Hau, one of the best fisherman in California.