FROM MAJOR TO MINOR: SOME KEYS FOR ANGLERS. By Major Kenneth Dawson. Annotated by The Wag. Large paper edition.

1928 1st edition. De luxe large paper edition. Folio (242 x 298mm). Ppviii,291. B/w illustrations by The Wag. Half blue leather over blue cloth, raised bands, gilt angling emblems on spine, leather spine label titled in gilt, top edge gilt, other edges rough-cut.

A light-hearted series of letters from the author to his nephew on the subject of salmon and trout fishing (and grayling). The publishers asked Major Dawson to write a book based on letters to his son: being a bachelor and having no son, "I compromised by adopting a nephew and, to make him more real, called him after my favourite dog." Chapters include:- Trout rods and tackle; First casts; Wet fly fishing; A lesson in natural history; More about salmon; Dry fly fishing; About sea trout; Night fishing; More about night fishing; Some natural insects; Fishing with natural bait; Blagdon Lake; About salmon; Salmon fishing; More about salmon fishing; Low water salmon fishing; Spinning tackle; Spinning; Spinning rods and reels; Grayling and coarse fishing; Envoi. Every right-hand page has a full-page, humorous illustration, with vignettes to most of the left-hand pages. A second edition was published in 1933, in an 8vo size, but without any of the illustrations which are so much a part of this handsome first edition*. This copy appears to come from the same sheets as the very scarce de luxe edition that was limited to only ten copies. It is 242 x 298mm in size as opposed to the standard edition which is 190 x 255mm. However, it does not carry any limitation statement. The only other copy of the de luxe edition that we have record of was numbered, bound in vellum, and had a watercolour frontispiece. None of which apply to this copy. Perhaps this was a proof or out-of-series presentation copy? Externally the condition is, unfortunately, rather poor with the cloth being stained and frayed. Internally it is slightly browned with a previous owner's gift inscription but otherwise relatively clean and tidy.