ANGLING WITH THE FLY: FLIES and ANGLERS OF DERBYSHIRE AND STAFFORDSHIRE. By John N. Watson. De luxe leather edition with album of flies.

2008 1st edition de luxe. A pair of matching volumes, full bound in blue Wassa goatskin. a: the text. b: album of six plates of flies by Tim Thorpe.

This is the superbly presented De-Luxe Edition of John Watson's highly respected Angling with the Fly. The two matching volumes are bound in blue Wassa goatskin, with a blue cloth clam-shell box. Spines have decorative gilt and raised bands. The first volume, Text, has hand-marbled end-papers by Jemma Lewis of Ann Muir Marbling, decorative preliminaries, and gilt to all three edges. The first volume is signed by John Watson. The second volume, Flies, is signed by John Watson and Tim Thorpe. It has matching hand-marbled end-papers, and contains six display mounts showing thirty-six specimen Derbyshire and Staffordshire patterns tied especially for this edition by Tim Thorpe. The text "Charts the history and development of flyfishing in Derbyshire and Staffordshire. [The author's] detailed research brings together the lives and backgrounds of many noted Derbyshire and Staffordshire fly-fishers for the first time in this comprehensive, but highly readable work; he discusses the evolution and features of local patterns, winging patterns and the notes and fly-dressings of noted angler-authors from the 18th and 19th centuries [as well as] anglers of influence up to the present day." Very well-illustrated with plates of flies from Aldam, Foster, Roger Woolley and other early writers and fly-tyers and with many two-page spreads of the flies of more recent Derbyshire flyfishers. Excellent historical sections on "Angler-authors of Derbyshire and Staffordshire" with lists of their fly-patterns. A superb edition of an interesting and useful book.