Angling Library Locator

For those of you as obsessed with Angling Libraries as I am, I have begun to compile a geographical reference- a treasure map, if you will. This is a Public Google Map which provides a pin for each institution I have found to house an Angling Book Collection.

Please let me know if I have omitted any sites you may be aware of. I have been fairly loose with my criteria (I would rather be inclusive to allow for a larger footprint).

I have visited only a handful of these places yet cherish the time spent within their majestic stacks. I welcome your input and any stories of your pilgrimages you care to share.

All Hail Harrison; Esquire Strikes Again

Esquire distills a drop of Jim Harrison essence.

Release Fly Travel: Cloud Forest Fly Fishing

My photographer friend Tom Enderlin has recently commercialized his adventure lifestyle into an organized travel company, Release Fly Travel.

Based in Costa Rica, he is offering a trout fishing guide service in the mountains of Costa Rica. That’s right- catch rainbow trout in the cloud forest!

To see his amazing photography click here.

Here is an article I wrote and he photo illustrated about fishing for salmon together in the Morrum River in Southern Sweden.

Walton / Cotton Fishing Hut for sale

Izaak Walton’s fabled fishing hut is for sale. Its hard to believe such an icon of our fishing heritage is on the market.

The hut was built in 1674,  20 years after the first publication of The Compleat Angler, and 2 years prior to the 5th edition which included Charles Cotton’s fly fishing chapters. The hut was built by both men and includes their initials over the entrance.

I am surprised the Houghton Club (on the Test) or the Anglers’ Club (in London) can’t pony up £450,000 (~$750,000) for the hallowed property and the 3km private river access to the Dove.

Link to the Real Estate listing- the pictures are worth viewing.

The Journal is Digitized!

The American Fly Fisher, the scholarly journal of the American Museum of Fly Fishing, is a quarterly journal worth its weight in gold. For 40 years the Museum in Manchester, Vermont, has published this rich resource. I am thrilled to share with you today the Museum has announced all back issues are now available digitally (free of charge). This is huge. As a collector of the back issues, I can’t wait to read through the early issues which are no longer available.

http://www.amff.com/past-issues/

Be sure to read the index issues to discover all the treasures within.

Fearing Bookplate Collection – An invitation to a virtual exhibition

I couldn’t believe my eyes- while searching online for Angling Bookplates I inadvertently stumbled upon the entire Fearing bookplate collection- all of the originals scanned in their in their stunning glory.  What makes this noteworthy is the  Fearing catalog (1918) is just that: a catalog meant to accompany visitors to the exhibition which was hosted by the Grolier Club in NYC. In other words the catalog does not have any illustrations of the beautiful plates themselves, and leaves the reader with a great desire to experience the gorgeous plates. Now you can. Thanks to intrepid reference librarians at Harvard’s Houghton Modern, the entire collection is now available for viewing on a dedicated flickr site.  Enjoy!

The original invitation welcoming the general public into the Grolier Club (which is the preeminent bibliophile club).

A draft of Fearing’s own angling bookplate. He had many – check them out.

 

Callan Wink guides Jim Harrison

Read this: Fly-Fishing Confidential – MensJournal.com.

[Andy Anderson photography]

Jim Harrison strikes again

Read this: My Upper Peninsula, by Jim Harrison in the New York Times, Travel Section.

 

For Sale: Angling Ephemera- Photos & Bookplates

In case you enjoy these as much as I do, I offer the following items which were all consigned to me from a dear friend who has a penchant for paper:

Photographs

“Colorado Guide with Catch”, 1945 13″ x 10.5″ $30

Anglers Posing (Swedish Postcard), undated, 5.25″ x 3.25″ $15

“Fisher Women” circa 1940s, 2.5″ x 3.5″ $5

Bookplates

ExLibris Alfred C. Weed, 3.75″ x 5″, Profile of a Pike, Green ink, Artist initials: C.F.G , $15

ExLibris Charles Midlo, 3.75″ x 5.75″, Viking/Mermaid scene, Artist initials: W.B.S, $15

Venit Hora/Muriel Press/Woodcut Bookplate by Ida Swaine, 5.75″ x 3.5″, $15

ExLibris David Jordan/All is Fish that comes to my Net, 5.5″ x 4″, Artist: Al Kocher, $15

Details

Each item is individually wrapped in an archival Mylar sleeve and will be carefully packaged and shipped. Please add $3 Shipping & Handling fee per item. Discounts offered for multiple items. Paypal preferred. For more details email me at Brandon -at- Troutschool -dot- com or feel free to leave a comment.

Its Norman, not Norm

I recently came across a soft back edition of A River Runs Through It. Upon opening it I discovered the following:

 

 

The inscription caught my attention, both because they are somewhat rare, but also because something seemed amiss. First of all I couldn’t quite grasp to whom it was written, and secondly the truncated name seemed unprofessor-like. I decided to leave the $50 in my pocket.

When I returned home I discovered Norman indeed signed his name in full, and more importantly, the inscription date (December, 1990) occurred after his death date (August, 1990).

Pete Gambitsky from the Fireside Angler provided this handwriting reference of Norman’s ruler- straight penmanship: