sometimes growing up in the Lead Belt has its advantages

[Brian Jones]

As a kid you get access to cool stuff like this that generally isn't available to the rest of the civilized world...........  

Found this in a pile of old stuff last night while searching for something else.  Fairly certain it is the first book that I ever read from cover to cover and at one point-during my early years of river rattin'-had the mileages and key points of each float memorized.  

[cnr]

Awesome piece of memorabilia. How old is it do you think?

[Smalliebigs]

Dang Brian you have number one.....very nice!!!

 

[Flysmallie]

Awesome piece of memorabilia. How old is it do you think?

Al should be able to give us an exact date.

[Brian Jones]

Dang Brian you have number one.....very nice!!!

 

I think the No. 1 was meant for first book in a series and not the actual first one off the press. 

Copyright date on inside of cover says 1973.

[cnr]

I think you should get Al to sign it for you!

[Brian Jones]

I think you should get Al to sign it for you!

That's not a bad idea. LOL.

[Al Agnew]

Yeah, Dave (now deceased) and I had delusions of grandeur.  We were gonna put out a book for every river in the Ozarks.  We started with upper Big River because, well, that was the only river I really knew well.  I did all the writing and lllustrations, Dave got the thing published.  Tim Renken, then the outdoors editor of the St. Louis Post Dispatch, gave it a glowing review, and we probably sold at least 100 copies.  I still have one, myself.

I went back to college the next year, and nothing more was ever heard from the Dave Tripp/Al Agnew publishing empire.

[fishinwrench]

This Reeks of collective value to me.  

[Greasy B]

At one time I think I had a copy of the map from that but I don't remember the cover. It's probably in the basement getting mildewed along with my copy of the natural streams act and the defunked national scenic riverways proposal for Gasconade.