W. H. ALDAM. - A Quaint Treatise on Flees, and the Art a Artyfichall Flee Making. By an Old Man Well Known on the Derbyshire Streams as a First-Class Fly-Fisher a Century Ago. With Editorial Notes and Patterns of Flies & Samples of Materials for Making Each Fly. [etc.].

London. John B. Day, 3 Savoy Street, Strand. 1875. First Edition, First Issue. 4to. (11 x 9). [ix] x-xiii [xiv-xvi], 1-91 [92] pp. With two mounted chromolithographs from original watercolours by James Poole - Llugwy, North Wales and Offerton Stepping Stones near Hathersage, Derbyshire. Title page printed in red and black. With 25 artificial flies and the materials to dress them mounted within 22 oval recesses on 6 thick double-sided matt boards. The flies and materials are attached with colored wafers within the oval frames. Each text page and matt board is within double red rule borders. The flies are dressed on gut leaders and eyeless, except the final two examples which were dressed by James Ogden on size 10 eyed hooks supplied by Bartletts - these two large mayflies, numbered 21 and 22, were dressed with extended bodies, which points up the fact there is little really new in fly dressing, as these 140 year old patterns demonstrate. An exquisite book. The book is bound in its original dark green cloth with gilt titles and black decorations on the spine and front cover. All edges gilt. The spine has been professionally restored at the top and bottom edges (almost seamlessly), occasional spots of foxing, evidence of residue from a tipped-in note on the verso on one plate, small piece of clear tape over one of the wafers. The flies and materials are fresh and complete. According to angling historian David Beazley, there were 15 to 20 copies of the 1875 first issue published. A bright, nice, very good book in its most desirable first issue.