author
Thomas Tod Stoddart
1810–1880
Best remembered as a Scottish poet and one of the great early writers on angling, he turned a lifelong love of rivers into books that helped shape fly-fishing literature. His work also shows an unusually strong concern for protecting fish and waterways.
1 Audiobook
The Death-Wake or Lunacy; a Necromaunt in Three Chimeras
by Thomas Tod Stoddart
About the author
Born in Edinburgh in 1810, Thomas Tod Stoddart trained in law and was admitted to the Scottish Bar, but he never made legal practice his real calling. Instead, he devoted himself to writing, outdoor life, and above all the rivers of Scotland, especially the Tweed.
He published both poetry and influential books on angling, including The Art of Angling as Practised in Scotland and The Angler's Companion to the Rivers and Lochs of Scotland. His writing combined practical knowledge, close observation, and an obvious delight in the craft of fishing, which helped make him a lasting name among anglers.
Stoddart is also remembered for caring deeply about the health of rivers and fish stocks at a time when conservation was far less common as a public concern. He died in 1880, leaving behind a reputation that bridges literature, field sport, and early environmental awareness.