Robert Traver/John Voelker Signed Book!

[bunger]

If you have ready any of his books, this story will light you up; otherwise, you may not appreciate the significance!

So my wife and I are having dinner over at her parent's house last night and we start talking about the outdoors and fly fishing and the conversation turns to books. I am reading "Trout Madness" and bring up the fact that I am reading one of the best trout fishing books ever, and that it is written by an U.P. author who was also a lawyer. My mother-in-law gets a funny look on her face and asks who it is - Robert Traver/John Voelker, I say. She says "hold on a minute," disappears for a little while, and then returns to the table, sliding puts a book in front of me as she sits back down. Titled "The Jealous Mistress", it is a first edition hardcover written by Robert Traver in 1967. I open up the cover and on the first page, find these words:

For <my mother-in-law's name>, one of my granddaughter Ellen Isaloff's favorite teachers and people, with the best wishes of the author.
Robert Traver
(John Voelker)
March 1972

She then proceeds to tell me that Ellen was a student in her class when she was teaching in Petoskey, MI, and that Ellen presented the book to her as a Christmas gift. She said I could keep the book! Isn't that unbelievable?!

side note: the note written inside the cover is handwritten in cursive style, and Ellen's last name is a bit difficult to read. It is either Isaloff or Isaboff... or something very close...

[steelslam]

congrats on the find. i got a book at a rummage sale signed by fred bear. call fred bears field notes. bought the book for .25 cents an id never get ride of this book.

[bunger]

No kidding? That's completely awesome... especially from a garage sale! Holds true to that say - "one man's junk is another man's treasure!"

[WILDCATWICK]

That's awsome. That is worth "tipping the tin cup" in celebration.

[GVSUKUSH]

Trout Magic and Trout Madness are two of the best books I've ever read. I'd love to have a signed copy of one of those.........

I'd love to get "Anatomy of a Fisherman", but it's well over $100 and hard to find

[bunger]

Holy smokes... you're right about the Anatomy of a Fisherman cost?!? I wonder why that one is soooo much more expensive than say Trout Madness, which I picked up used a couple of months ago for about $8?!

[jmoser]

I have 2 copies of 'Anatomy' that I got off Ebay for $20 - $35. They are not 'collecters' grade' or 1st edition or anything like that, one is an ex-library book and one is softcover. This book is OUT OF PRINT and existing copies are hard to find, once a dealer gets hold of one the asking price is jacked way up, they know what they have and supply is very limited.

I bought these to round out my Traver collection, for personal enjoyment only, not for resale or investment. I have 2 sons so I find myself collecting lots of stuff twice over - books, toy trains, etc etc etc.