[Fly-Fishing] With Fly, Plug, and Bait

New York: William Morrow & Company, 1947. Limited Edition. Half leather to cloth Hardcover. A Near-Fine Collectible Copy. Deluxe issue of 249, this example marked "presentation copy," and inscribed on the half-title by the author to Tom Mahoney, his editor at Morrow ["whose interest & help made it all possible" with the date of March 1947] and a second signature on the limitation page.

Contains the extra suite of six color plates by Burke in the original printed envelope. (Uncommon to be with the book).

Publisher's three-quarters green morocco, five raised bands with gilt rules and emblems in slipcase. 9.25 by 6.25 inches; 3-640 pages, color plates by Edgar Burke and line drawings by Ivin Sickles with decorated endpages, and a separate suite in an accompanying envelope (rarely found with the book).

Slipcase worn, the binding extremely neatly restored retaining the original spine, a sound copy internally.  The worn slipcase was not issued by the publisher.

A handsome and collectible copy.  Minimal handling wear.  Some page unopened (lower edge). Fresh water fishermen, with serious interest in every facet of the subject of fishing for trout and bass will find this virtually a definitive book on the "hows" of the subject.

Bergman, author of Just Fishing and Trout and Fresh Water Bass tells all in this beautiful volume. He discusses the pros and cons of live bait, (worms, minnows, etc.); of wet flies and dry; of methods of fishing, casting, trolling, etc. He analyzes types of water, indications as to feeding habits, how and where and why fish can be caught one place or another, the proper tackle for each type of bait, fly or lure. He lists flies by name and quotes generously from other authorities as to preferences, and why.

His anecdotes, which liven the technicalities of the text cover the fresh water fishing grounds from California to Mains, and north to Canada. [kirkus]

Ray Bergman was America's fisherman.  His first book, Trout, was in continuous publication for over 50 years from the first release in 1938, making it one of the ten best selling sporting books ever written.

It provided an education to many generations of trout fishermen and continues to be a benchmark in fly fishing history. Traveling over a quarter of a million miles in the United States and Canada, Ray regularly reported of his experiences and shared new found knowledge in Outdoor Life Magazine where he was the angling editor from 1933 to his retirement in 1960.

As a fly tyer, Ray has few peers.  By the time Trout was published in 1938, he professed to have tied over 100,000 flies.  In 1952, when the revised edition of Trout was printed, the number had risen to 200,000. 

Ref: Bruns B135