CARP STORIES and OTHER TALES. By Peter Mohan. De luxe leather-bound edition.

2010 1st edition. De luxe issue. 8vo (148 x 217mm). Ppxii,217. B/w photograph, b/w cartoon illustrations by Len Gurd, b/w vignettes by Tom O'Reilly. Fully bound in blue leather, black and gilt carp design to upper board, spine titled and decorated in gilt with red spine labels. Green cloth-bound slipcase.

This is a good collection of articles, short stories and reminiscences by Peter Mohan. Some of this material has appeared in print before, but much of it is seen here for the first time. The book includes cartoons, and some writing, by Len Gurd, as well as vignettes by Tom O'Reilly. Contents include:- Bert the bailiff; Carp stealer; Keen specimen hunter; Monastery fish trap; Carpman's moon; Bream basher; My odd year; Russell Oates; Brother Russell; Recognition for Russell; Recognition for Russell part 2; Russell's barbel; Gillian; Author's note; Carp fishing through the ages; Lament for a lost lake; Carpcon 2020; The great literary misunderstanding; The Beechmere ghost; Gobio gobblers; Group minds in carp; Poem... The Angler; World Federation; Interview Kevin with PM; True tales. * The de luxe leather-bound edition was limited to 20 or 25 copies (the copyright page states 20 but the publisher's website states 25). This copy, however, is an un-numbered binder's proof copy and differs slightly to the standard leather-bound edition. The carp design on the upper board is illustrated in black and gilt, other leather-bound copies have this design simply blind-stamped. The top and bottom edges are gilt whilst the fore-edge has an illustration, by Tom O'Reilly, of a carp pond. A slightly creased bookplate is signed by both Peter Mohan and Tom O'Reilly and states "Binders Proof" and there is also a signed inscription, in O'Reilly's handwriting, that reads "Binder's Proof Copy, Hand bound and illustrated by Tom O'Reilly, July 2010." A fine and unique copy of a book that is hard to find even in the standard de luxe edition.