FLOATING FLIES AND HOW TO DRESS THEM... By Frederic M. Halford 'Detached Badger' of 'The Field.'

1886 1st edition. 8vo (150 x 228mm). Ppviii,136 + 1pp ads + 32pp publisher's catalogue. 9 hand-coloured plates of flies, shade chart, b/w illustrations. Dark olive cloth, upper board and spine titled in gilt, top edge gilt.

"A treatise on the most modern methods of dressing artificial flies for trout and grayling. With full illustrated directions and containing ninety hand-coloured engravings of the most killing patterns. Together with a few hints to dry-fly fishermen. By Frederic M. Halford." The first edition of the first, and scarcest, of Halford's books. Though the book contains no limitation statement it is known that only 500 copies of this first edition were produced. A contemporary publisher's advertisement stated "A large-paper edition, printed on Dutch hand-made paper, limited to 100 copies for England and 50 for America, price 30s (This Edition is exhausted). Small-paper edition - Demy 8vo, first edition limited to 500 copies, cloth, 15s post free."