THE RAPTURE OF THE RIVER:

258 pages, [81 pages of plates]: illustrations, (chiefly portraits,1 as frontispiece). Cloth, dustwrapper frayed and rubbed along spine and edges, but extremely unusual to be present. Signed by Hey on a preliminary page. No. 32 of an edition limited to 200 copies. Further inscription from Hey "… May this book remind you of the happy day we fished together on the Breede estuary.".  <p></p>Based on Hey's carefully kept fishing diaries, recording happy days on rivers, lakes and estuaries in different parts of South Africa over a period of fifty years. As the author of several government Blue Books on inland fisheries, Hey had the unique opportunity of visiting all the worthwhile waters. He grew up in the Border region and started work at the Department of Post and Telegraphs as a teenager. He worked in the Department for the next 47 years, enjoying postings all over South Africa (always close to good fishing spots!). In 1925, the Union Government initiated a survey of all inland waters and Hey was appointed to fulfil the task, despite his lack of formal scientific training. He described every river, stream and vlei in South Africa and as a result the government was able to stock rivers and dams with fish in a more efficient manner. <p></p>"If you only ever collect one [fishing] book, let it be RAPTURE OF THE RIVER. There will never be another that sums up the soul of South African fly fishing as brilliantly". Paul Curtis, FISHING THE MARGINS, p. 113.