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.