First Edition: 167 pages, with advertisements by Ford Bros. of Maritzburg on the verso of the title-page, and on the verso of page 167, 2 plates, one a line-drawing of flies and the other a line-drawing showing knots, casts, and tackles, six very small but charming tail pieces, original brown cloth titled 'Trout Fishing' in black on the upper cover and spine, endpaper printed with a floral pattern, whilst the cloth is soiled, overall this is a very good copy of 'the second trout-fishing book to be published in South Africa' (Bradlow).
Bradlow (Frank R. Bradlow) The Nine Earliest South African Books on Trout Fishing (Piscator No.89, Summer 1973/4), pages 106/107, 'In the first advertisement, Ford Bros. advise that "the special Mounted Casts and Specially Dressed Flies as recommended by Canon Pennington are kept in stock by us, having been carefully made by an English firm of the highest reputation". This tells us at least what the author's occupation was! In his preface the worthy canon tells us "this book is an attempt to give our youth a better chance of coming to the top in the cleanest sport we have . . ."
'There are eleven short chapters dealing with such subjects as "rod reel line and net", "the cast", "flies", "throwing", which Rev. Pennington tells us is "a North of England term for casting the line and flies on the water", "a day out", "men you will meet", "memories", "night fishing", "minnow", and, of all things, "worm". Obviously the canon was no purist.'
Curtis (Paul) Fishing Wider Margins, A History and Bibliography of Angling in Africa, Platanna Press, 2015, pages 48/51, 'Trout Fishing for South African Boys, is extremely rare - in all the years I've been collecting I've only come across five or six copies.'
According to A South African Bibliography to the Year 1925, Mansell, 1979, there are three copies in libraries in South Africa.
- Overall Condition: Very good
- Size: Small 8vo (155 x 105 mm)
