Trout in South Africa by Bob Crass

Trout in South Africa (First Edition, First Impression Trout Survey)

The Standard Survey of Trout Introduction, Waters and Fly-Fishing Across South Africa

Bibliographic Specifications

• Title: Trout in South Africa
• Author: Bob Crass
• Publisher: Macmillan South Africa (Publishers) (Pty) Ltd, Johannesburg
• Publication Date: 1986
• ISBN-13: 9780869542835
• ISBN-10: 0869542834
• Edition Details: First Edition, First Impression.
• Binding: Publisher's cloth-covered hardcover boards with a pictorial illustrated cover, issued without a dust jacket.
• Physical Format: Octavo (8vo) hardcover. Illustrated with black-and-white photographs in the text and a colour illustration to the front cover.
• Language: English

Official Condition Report

• The Book: Very Good Plus (VG+)
• Exterior / Boards: Tan to khaki pictorial boards showing rainbow and brown trout, bright and clean. The spine is lettered in black and blue with the Macmillan device and shows no obvious wear. Corners and edges are sharp and clean.
• Interior: The text block appears tight and sound. Pages are clean and cream, with no foxing, markings or tears in the pages examined. The front free endpaper has light toning, two faint tape-shaped marks and a pencil note. The fore-edge is very slightly uneven.
• Provenance: Pencil name to the front free endpaper, apparently "A. Deans", with a small pencil price or code in the margin.
• The Dust Jacket: Not Applicable (As Issued)

Synopsis & Historical Value

Published in Johannesburg by Macmillan South Africa in 1986, Trout in South Africa is a broad survey of the fish and the fishing. It sets out the conditions trout need to thrive and describes the rivers and dams of the Cape, Natal, Orange Free State and Transvaal where they are found.

Bob Crass also covers fly-fishing techniques, the history of trout introduction and the people who drove it, and the management of trout waters. The book gives a balanced hearing to the debate over trout as an alien species in South African rivers.

The book is cited in academic work on the early history of trout hatcheries and stocking in Natal, and in conservation scholarship on trout and indigenous fish. It remains a useful reference for collectors of Africana angling and natural history.

Author Profile: Bob Crass

Robert Sanderson "Bob" Crass (1921-2011) was a South African fisheries scientist. He served for many years as Scientific Officer with the Natal Parks Board, and his work on trout and freshwater fish made him a respected authority on the subject.