With Fly, Plug, And Bait With Fly, Plug, And Bait [Fly Fishing] [Inscribed to Editor Tom Mahoney] [Limited Deluxe Issue] [Extra Suite Of Six Color Plates]

A superlative deluxe limited association copy of Bergman’s definitive freshwater angling survey. Inscribed by Ray Bergman to his editor at Morrow, Tom Mahoney, this copy serves as a primary record of the book’s creation, with the author crediting Mahoney’s 'interest and help' as essential to the work. It is an unusually complete example, retaining the separate suite of six additional color plates in the original printed envelope—a fragile component seldom found with the volume. KEY FEATURES +++ The Editor's Copy: Inscribed on the half-title: 'To Tom Mahoney—whose interest & help made it all possible—Ray Bergman—March 1947'. Mahoney was the editor at Morrow who championed Bergman's work. +++ Visuals: Illustrated throughout with color plates by Edgar Burke and line drawings by Ivin Sickles. Includes a separate suite of six additional color plates housed in the original printed envelope. +++ Binding: Publisher’s deluxe three-quarter green morocco with cloth sides, five raised bands, and gilt angling emblems to the spine; housed in the original green cloth slipcase. +++ Limitation: One of 249 copies of the Deluxe Issue, signed by the author on the limitation page. +++ Content: A comprehensive treatment of trout and bass fishing, synthesizing decades of technique with anecdotal narratives from across North America. +++ Imprint: New York: William Morrow & Company, 1947. Limited Edition, Deluxe Issue. +++ Specs: Octavo (9.25 x 6.25 inches); 3–640 pages. Several leaves remain unopened at the lower edge. CONDITION: Near Fine -- Binding is tight and square; the morocco is clean with only the most trivial rubbing at extremities. The text block is remarkably fresh. The slipcase is sound with light shelf handling. A collector-grade example of the highest order. HISTORICAL SIGNIFICANCE -- Ray Bergman was the undisputed king of American angling for three decades. As the long-time editor of Outdoor Life, his voice didn't just teach people how to fish; it defined the gear, the ethics, and the language of the sport for an entire generation. While his earlier book Trout is a legend, this 1947 work is his 'Grand Tour'—a mature, all-encompassing masterpiece that remains a definitive benchmark for both fly and bait fishermen. This specific copy is a high-water mark for provenance. Bergman's inscription to Tom Mahoney—his editor at William Morrow—is a rare admission of creative debt. In the world of limited editions, an inscription to the editor who 'made it all possible' elevates the volume from a simple collectible to a primary artifact of publishing history. It captures the exact moment the master of the sport paid tribute to the man behind the curtain, making it a peerless addition to any serious sporting library. SUBJECTS: Ray Bergman, Fly fishing, Tom Mahoney, William Morrow & Co, Sporting Literature, Edgar Burke, Angling History, American Outdoors, Association Copy, Fine Binding, Limited Edition, Sporting Books. BIBLIOGRAPHIC REFERENCE: Bruns, Angling Books of the Americas, B135. Limited Edition, Deluxe Issue of 249 copies.…