GRAYLING AND HOW TO CATCH THEM: AND RECOLLECTIONS OF A SPORTSMAN. By Francis M. Walbran. Flyfisher's Classic Library Edition.

(1895) 2004 new edition. 8vo (160 x 240mm). Ppxxxii,142,ads. Frontispiece portrait, illustrations, new introduction by Tony Hayter. Red bonded leather in slipcase.

Francis "Max" Walbran was a well-known angling writer and fishing tackle dealer from Leeds. His writings remain a valuable guide to the methods and attitudes of the Yorkshire school of fishing which had developed in the 19th century. In his preface to this book Walbran says: "The present little work has in truth been a labour of love, as there is no fish that swims - no, not even excepting the trout, of which I am so fond as the 'graceful, gliding grayling'; and I trust from the following pages the reader will be able to gather a few useful hints, and have in future a better opinion of this despised fish." The book is divided into two parts: Part I - Grayling And How To Catch Them - has chapters discussing: times of spawning, distribution, size, flies and dressings and different fishing methods. Part II - Recollections Of A Sportsman - is a collection of angling articles and sketches, describing his fishing trips in different parts of the country. These include sea fishing off Redcar, and a fairly fruitless stay on the Artro in Llanbedr, and describe a day on the River Test with Frederick Halford. "...he covers a much wider field than Pritt exploited, seeing that he touches on the dry fly, maggot fishing and grasshopper fishing, as well as wet fly and swimming the worm. It is a good little book, giving very useful dressings of a dozen wet flies and a dozen dry ones." (Carter Platts).