The Fly Fisher's Guide, Illustrated by Coloured Plates, Representing Upwards of Forty of the Most Useful Flies, Accurately Copied from Nature

Half brown leather and patterned paper-over-boards, git titles and decorations on spine; 8vo; 150pp; illustrated with hand-colored frontispiece plus 7 other full page hand-colored plates plus 2 vignettes within text. Privately printed for the author by G.F. Harris's widow and brothers. One of the first books to depict artificial flies and insects in color. According to Westwood & Satchell, "One of the textbooks of the fly-fisher. Twelve copies of the first edition were in 4to, colored with greater care, and published at two guineas." (p21). This copy in good condition with light edge wear and small tear at upper outer hinge along with another tear at bottom of frontispiece along gutter. Internally scattered light foxing with some offsetting of frontispiece onto title page. The hand colored plates are vivid and a fine example of period coloring. A good to very good example of the uncommon and desirable 1st edition.