Grimble, A.
The salmon rivers of Ireland. Volumes I-II. [Complete].
London, Kegan Paul, Trübner, 1903. Two volumes in two (28.6 x 22.2 cm). 4to. 561 [xv, 262; xii, 272] pp.; two maps, 33 [14; 19] photographic plates. Original uniform half vellum. Printed label on the spines.
Augustus - or August - Grimble (1840-1925) wrote a large amount of shooting-, stalking- and fishing-books. This may be his finest work. First, limited edition, published in 250 copies only and therefore it is rarer than Grimble's similar work on the salmon and trout rivers of England and Wales which was published a year later in 350 copies. Dean, A bibliography of fishes, only records the latter. The author discusses the rivers from north (volume I) to south (volume II). Hence the first volume has a map of the northern half of Ireland (south to Galway Bay and Dublin), and the second a map from Galway and Dublin southwards. Pasted in front is a printed note dated Nov. 1902 in which the publishers announce that they "...regret the long delay in publication...which was due to the entire destruction by fire of the sheets, type, and blocks, on the eve of publication in August". Boards a bit rubbed, spine labels more so, endpapers slightly spotted. Otherwise a very good, clean set. Not in Dean, who only listed Grimble's England and Wales work.