RODERICK HAIG-BROWN.

Panther.

First Edition. London. Jonathan Cape. 1934. First Edition. Octavo (7 x 5 1/2). [4], 7-10 [11-12], 13-257 [258] pp. Panther is Roderick Haig-Brown’s intimate story of Vancouver Island panthers (or cougars or mountain lions, if you like), Blackstreak and Nassa and their cub, Ki-yu. These are panthers roaming at the northern tip of Vancouver Island, who sometimes weigh as much as 250 pounds - powerful and fearless and who hunt deer and elk and only occasionally attack cattle and raid chicken coops. It is Ki-yu who grows to be the largest and most powerful and fearless of panthers as he ranges over the Plateau and the Wapiti Valley. And it is the story of the ranchers who fear him and seek to kill him. Haig-Brown studied panthers under the watchful eye of John Cecil Smith, the greatest of Vancouver Island panther hunters. Roderick Haig-Brown’s story is based on first-hand experience, his own and Mr. Smith’s. /// Panther was published in London in November 1934, a week before the book was published in the U.S. by Houghton Mifflin Company, Boston, under the title Ki-yu: A Story of Panthers. The 1934 Jonathan Cape first edition of Panther is by far Haig-Brown’s scarcest book and it’s a rare book in the trade. This is just the second time I’ve had it in 25 plus years. Haig-Brown’s literary agent in New York, Harold Ober Associates, had no record of the number of copies of Cape's Panther sold, but it was undoubtedly very small. You will see dozens of Ki-yu’s before you’ll see another first of Panther. The book is bound in the publisher’s first state binding of green cloth with yellow titles on the spine and front cover (there’s also a second state binding in red cloth). There’s scattered foxing in the text and the spine title is dulled. A very good book.

Bruce Cave Fine BooksProfessional seller

Book number: 010788

RODERICK HAIG-BROWN.

Return to the River. A Story of the Chinook Run. {Inscribed by Roderick Haig-Brown to David Denbigh, Art Director for the Salmon Portfolio}.

New York. Crown Publishers, Inc. 1974. Octavo (8 x 6). 248 pp. plus 1 page biography of Haig-Brown. Inscribed by Roderick Haig-Brown to David Denbigh. Mr. Denbigh was the art director and producer for the extravagant salmon portfolio presented to governments officials attending the Third U. N. Law of the Sea Conference held in Caracas, Venezuela in 1974. Several of David Denbigh’s color salmon plates are included within the portfolios’ folders. This copy of Return to the River was inscribed by Haig-Brown to David Denbigh when he and other portfolio participants, including Bill Reid, Haida artist, and Robert R. Reid, typographer for the portfolio, visited with him at his home, Above Tide, in early 1974 in an effort to convince Haig-Brown to write the book for the portfolio, titled "The Salmon." Their mission was successful. "Working on the diplomatic comments on the Law of the Sea brochure - not too much, but they want to have things two ways - propaganda, but not propaganda, salmon as a world resource, but not really a world resource, Canada’s world resource. Well, one can always try within limits. But committees can’t write books. I’ve enjoyed it though and they really haven’t interfered much," Haig-Brown wrote. Signed copies of Haig-Brown’s books published during the 1970s are quite scarce, as he was exceptionally busy with several projects during this period of time. The book is bound in brown cloth with blue titles. Pictorial dust jacket. A nice book. Fine in a fine dust jacket. Signed by Author.

Bruce Cave Fine BooksProfessional seller

Book number: 010376

RODERICK HAIG-BROWN.

Return to the River: A Story of the Chinook Run. {Limited Edition}.

New York. William Morrow and Company. 1941. Octavo (8 x 6). 260 pp. Limited Edition. Book number 66 of 520 copies published (of which 475 are for sale). Signed by Roderick Haig-Brown and the book's illustrator, Charles De Feo, on the limitation page. Illustrated color frontispiece. With sixteen exquisitely drawn plates by Charles De Feo. The book is the finest account written on the life history Pacific salmon. In early 1976 Roderick Haig-Brown sat for an interview with angling author Ernest Schwiebert. During the interview, Haig-Brown recalled how he decided to write The Western Angler (published by The Derrydale Press in 1939) before writing Return to the River in order to establish his considerable knowledge and expertise with the anadromous fisheries so that potential publishers would eventually accept Return to the River. It's a marvelous book. The book is bound in quarter red morocco with gilt titles and gray cloth. Top edge gilt. Complete with the publisher’s grey paper patterned slipcase. This book has a hand colored image of a Kingfisher drawn by Jim Rimmer tipped-in on the front free end paper. A fine book excepting the always discolored front and back paste downs resulting from the binder's glue. Near fine in a very good slip case with edge wear. Signed by Author.

Bruce Cave Fine BooksProfessional seller

Book number: 010808

VAN GORMAN EGAN (RODERICK HAIG-BROWN).

Tyee. The Story of the Tyee Club of British Columbia. {Limited Edition. With a Letter Signed by Van Egan & A Memorable Short Essay About Roderick Haig-Brown titled "Justice for a Magistrate" Laid-in}.

Campbell River, British Columbia. Published by the Ptarmigan Press. 1988. Quarto (11 x 8). 208 pp. including appendices, bibliography. Limited Edition. Book number 47 of 180 copies published. Signed by Van Egan and the publisher on the limitation page. Color plates showing the fishermen, the lures employed to catch enormous salmon, fish caught, the unique boats and methods employed to fish for Tyee, and the trophies and pins awarded for the various weight classes. Sepia toned photos. This is Van's rich account of the world-famous Tyee Club - its origins, the people who made it so, and Van's personal memories guiding and fishing for Tyee. Laid-in the book is a typed letter signed by Van Egan and it’s addressed to me. Van and Rod Haig-Brown were dear friends for many years, and the separate essay, titled "Justice for a Magistrate," describes a day when Haig-Brown appeared in court for a speeding ticket and the amusing events which unfolded. The book is bound in full burgundy leather with gilt titles. The Tyee Club color logo is printed on the limitation page. Matching burgundy leather and cloth slip case. A beautiful book. Fine in a fine slip case. The letter and essay in fine condition.

Bruce Cave Fine BooksProfessional seller

Book number: 010557

KEITH HARWOOD.

Angling Books. A Collector's Guide. {Deluxe Edition}.

Machynlleth, Powys. Coch-y-Bonddu Books. 2016. 8vo. (8 ½ x 6). 139 pp. including appendix. Deluxe Edition. Book letter "Z" of 26 lettered copies. Signed by Keith Harwood on a tipped-in label on the title page. This is Angling Monograph No. 3 in the series. Color photos showing many books and periodicals of interest to those who seek scarce or rare titles about their favorite sport, primarily those published in the U.K. The book is divided into two parts: The Angling Book Collector and The Angler's Library. A fine reference and recommended. The book is bound in quarter green morocco with gilt titles on the spine and gray cloth with an angler on the front cover. Decorated end papers. A nice book. In fine condition.

Bruce Cave Fine BooksProfessional seller

Book number: 009768

PETER HAYES.

Imitators of the Fly. A History. {Deluxe Edition}.

Machynlleth, Powys. Coch-y-Bonddu Books. 2016. 8vo. (8 ½ x 6). 99 pp. Deluxe Edition. Book letter "T" of 26 lettered copies. Signed by Peter Hayes on a tipped-in label on the title page. This is Angling Monograph No. 1 in the series. Color plus black and white historical photos showing natural and artificial flies dressed and imitated by many well-known authors, including William Blacker, Alfred Ronalds, David Foster, Frederic Halford, Francis Francis, Martin Mosley, G. E. M. Skues, etc. and the role these noteworthy authors played in the development and practice of fly fishing. The book is bound in quarter green morocco with gilt titles on the spine and gray cloth with an angler on the front cover. Decorated end papers. A nice book. In fine condition.

Bruce Cave Fine BooksProfessional seller

Book number: 009769

HEADQUARTERS AND HQ DETACHMENT - 56TH TRANSPORTATION COMPANY - 388TH TRANS CO. - 611TH TRANS CO. - 330TH TRANS CO. - AVIATION ELECTRONICS SUPPORT CO.

History of the 765th Transportation Battalion (AM&S) {Vietnam}.

The 765th Transportation Battalion was headquartered in Saigon, with its companies stationed in various parts of the Mekong Delta. The book describes its five units in 1967; the book was printed and bound in Taipei, Taiwan, in the same year. Large octavo (9 1/2 x 7 1/2). 70 pp. Color images of each company insignia. Black and white photos showing the men and descriptions of the missions of each company in the battalion - Hueys and Chinooks. I specialize in fly fishing books and this is as far from fishing as one can imagine - the difference in this case is because the book is mine. I arrived in Pleiku, Vietnam, in July 1967 and served two years in the Nam with the 330th and 611th companies. I’ve had this battalion history since my return home in 1969; I was 21 then, and now, as an old man, I’ve grown tired of looking at it. The book painfully brings to mind the colossal failure we got involved with and the damage the war inflicted on nearly everyone who was there. If you served in the delta, maybe you’ll get something from this history that I can’t see or understand. The book is bound in red cloth with gilt titles and decorations. There’s some wear to the spine, but it’s very good.

Bruce Cave Fine BooksProfessional seller

Book number: 010809

LEFTY KREH. (COMPILER).

Salt Water Fly Patterns. {Limited Edition}.

Maral, Fullerton, California. Privately published. 1992. Octavo (8 x 5 1/2). [12], 69 pp. Limited Edition. Book number 58 of 100 copies published. Signed by Lefty Kreh on the limitation page. There are color plates showing a plethora of fly patterns Mr. Kreh has assembled in the book; flies to attract nearly any salt water fish (and for that matter, many fresh water fish as well). The color plates are in sharp focus, bright, and nearly life-size. There’s also detailed instructions on how to dress the patterns. The book is bound in black leatherette with silver titles on on the spine and front cover. Silk ribbon marker. A neat book. In fine condition.

Bruce Cave Fine BooksProfessional seller

Book number: 010807

CAPT. T. WILLAMSON.

The Complete Angler’s Vade-Mecum; being a Perfect Code of Instruction on the Above Pleasing Science: Wherein are Detailed, a Great Variety of Original Practices and Inventions; [etc].

London. 1808. Printed for Payne and Mackinlay, in the Strand; and Cuthell and Martin, Middle Row, Holborn. First Edition. Octavo (8 x 5 1/2). xi, [xii], [1], 2-316 pp. plus appendix. Ten black and white plates bound in at the back of the book showing a reel, rod, hooks, baits, nets, and fish. There’s sections devoted to hooks, gut lines, horse-hair lines, weights, reels and rods, baits, salmon and trout fishing, plus methods on how to angle for nearly all the coarse fish found in England. At the end of the book, we finally get to the heart of the matter - fly fishing, which the author devotes a mere 13 pages. Nevertheless Mr. Williamson fancied himself a top notch fly fisher and he wasn’t shy about his casting abilities either, failing to understand how most folks couldn't measure up to his skill set; modesty didn’t overtake him. Westwood & Satchell describe the book as "essentially original." The book is bound in a late nineteenth century fine binding of green morocco spine and corners with marbled boards with gilt rules. The spine is decorated with gold fish, flies and tackle with raised hubs with gilt rules. Marbled end papers. Top edge gilt. With the bookplates of Marvin Chase and Rob Cohen. A cool book. Very good with light edge wear to the binding and some foxing scattered here and there within the text.

Bruce Cave Fine BooksProfessional seller

Book number: 010739