A Quaint Treatise on "Flees, and the Art a Artyfichall Flee Making," By an Old Man Well Known on the Derbyshire Streams as a First-Class Fly-Fisher a Century Ago. Printed from an old Ms. never before published, the original spelling and language being retained, with Editorial Notes and Patterns of Flies, and Samples of the Materials for Making Each Fly -
W. H. Aldam, James Poole (artist)
1876 - John B. Day, London - First Edition, Second Issue
One of the greatest works on fly tying, described by Hills in his bibliography as ‘the best of all, for beauty and interest... The flies in it are tied with an excellence that I have never seen beaten; and, as well as complete flies, all the materials of which they are made, silk, wool and feathers, are there displayed.’
Complete, containing 98 actual flies and materials mounted in 22 sunken mounts on thick card, together with two colour chromolithograph plates from water colours by James Poole. A superior example with very little of the foxing to which this work is prone, and bright gilt covers. Housed in a later marbled paper board slipcase.
A remarkable production, with approximately only 200 copies of both issues sold over a number of years, identical to the first issue except for the date on the title page, both issues where released at the same time in the spring of 1876. ‘If the reader wishes to see what Ogden's Mayflies were like he can, if he is so lucky as to own that book which the hackneyed word 'unique' alone describes, Aldam's Quaint Treatise On Flies and Flymaking, find at the end of it two original Mayflies, tied by him. These I believe to be the oldest representations of floating flies now extant, and lovely flies they are.’ - John Waller Hills’ A history of Fly Fishing For Trout.
References: Westwood & Satchell, Bibliotheca Piscatoria, 3. Hills, A history of Fly Fishing For Trout, 125, 187, 222. Catalogue of the Library of the Late John Gerard Heckscher, 18. Kerridge, Angling Literature, 79. Gee, The Sportsman's Library, 84. The Sporting Library of Edward Sands Litchfield, 49.
Quarto (book size 28.8x23.5cm), pp. xiii [3] 91 [1]. In publisher’s green cloth illustrated and decorated in gilt and green. Condition: Fine but for light spotting and minor rubbing to cloth. Ref: 112492 Price: HK$ 25,000
Complete, containing 98 actual flies and materials mounted in 22 sunken mounts on thick card, together with two colour chromolithograph plates from water colours by James Poole. A superior example with very little of the foxing to which this work is prone, and bright gilt covers. Housed in a later marbled paper board slipcase.
A remarkable production, with approximately only 200 copies of both issues sold over a number of years, identical to the first issue except for the date on the title page, both issues where released at the same time in the spring of 1876. ‘If the reader wishes to see what Ogden's Mayflies were like he can, if he is so lucky as to own that book which the hackneyed word 'unique' alone describes, Aldam's Quaint Treatise On Flies and Flymaking, find at the end of it two original Mayflies, tied by him. These I believe to be the oldest representations of floating flies now extant, and lovely flies they are.’ - John Waller Hills’ A history of Fly Fishing For Trout.
References: Westwood & Satchell, Bibliotheca Piscatoria, 3. Hills, A history of Fly Fishing For Trout, 125, 187, 222. Catalogue of the Library of the Late John Gerard Heckscher, 18. Kerridge, Angling Literature, 79. Gee, The Sportsman's Library, 84. The Sporting Library of Edward Sands Litchfield, 49.
Quarto (book size 28.8x23.5cm), pp. xiii [3] 91 [1]. In publisher’s green cloth illustrated and decorated in gilt and green. Condition: Fine but for light spotting and minor rubbing to cloth. Ref: 112492 Price: HK$ 25,000