Observer's Freshwater Fishes

[Reedling]

I bought this little book complete with dust jacket in a charity shop today and on looking through it I could not find a date or edition. On looking at the Carp page it states, the heaviest specimen so far recorded had a weight of 24 1/2 pounds and came from the Great Pond at Harting in Sussex. I thought that this might give me a rough date for the book but this Carp is not listed as a record. Any ideas please Gents?

[Keston]

Hi Reedling
If not dated then possibly a 1941 first edition ?
Is there a number on the spine?
John

[Reedling]

Yes John, on the dust jacket and book spine it says '6'.

[Keston]

Unless you have a page torn out I would suggest you have a 1st edition from 1941 .
On page two you should have a list of other observers books that has just 8 listed.
I have a first (no jacket )with no number on the spine and another later one with a 6 on it and was hoping yours had no number ... I don't know why though.
The Carp thing is odd because there are bigger fish recorded prior to the book coming out .

[Reedling]

25 books listed on page two and no pages torn out as far as I can make out.

[Keston]

That has me a bit puzzled then if I'm honest.

[Reedling]

I had a look on the abebooks site to see if there were any pointers there late last night but nothing which I could lay my hat on.Never mind it is probably pre Richard Walkers fish, so older than me. Thanks for trying john

[Keston]

My later book suggests five reprints from 1941 to I think 1957 but with no dates . I think it's feasable yours is a first edition but later than 1941 and that would account for the number of additional other books above the 8 listed in 1941 . I guess a date could be found from cross checking other books . I will look when I return home.
John

[Olly]

Well Albert Buckley caught a 26lb carp from Mapperley in 1930 which held the record for 21 years! Until Bob Richard's 30+.

And John Andrews had caught one of 20lb 3 oz from the Red Spinners Cheshunt Reservoir in 1916.

So somewhere in between?

[Keston]

25 books listed on page two and no pages torn out as far as I can make out.

According to Wiki there were 25 books as of 1956 ? Hard to see how your book could be before this date ?