The famed Sun Valley sporting guide recalls fresh water fishing with Hemingway

Lot 98

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Rare Books, Autographs & Maps

By Doyle

Nov 25, 2025

Set Reminder 2025-11-25 10:00:00 2025-11-25 10:00:00 America/New_York Bidsquare Bidsquare : Rare Books, Autographs & Maps https://www.bidsquare.com/auctions/doyle/rare-books-autographs-maps-21321 Auction of Rare Books, Autographs & Maps on Tuesday, November 25, 2025 at 10am Consignments Are Currently Being Accepted for Future Auctions We Invite You to Contact Us for a Complimentary Auction Evaluation of Your Collection Doyle info@doyle.com

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Lot Description

[HEMINGWAY, ERNEST] WILLIAMS, TAYLOR "BEAR TRACKS" and BRAMBLE, DAVID. Typescript draft titled Papa Hemingway: Fresh-Water Fisherman. A nine-page typed draft on thin typewriter sheets, double-stapled at head, likely the preparation for a magazine article, with title sheet, a page about the author, a description of photographs (a few present, but not the ones described), and six pages describing Williams' recollections of Hemingway particularly as it relates to freshwater fishing as opposed to the saltwater fishing Hemingway was known for in Cuba. The sheets 11 x 8 inches (28 x 21 cm). Folds, lightly toned and handled; Together with an autograph letter from Williams dated 1953 and several related photographs. An interesting small archive of a possibly unpublished article about the freshwater fishing skill of Ernest Hemingway by his great friend, the legendary Sun Valley sporting guide Taylor "Bear Tracks" Williams. Williams describes first meeting Hemingway and how on an early visit he wrote a long portion of For Whom the Bell Tolls at Ketchum. The two would hunt or fish together in the afternoons, where "drifting downstream ... it isn't very often that he'll talk about his writing ... I've been lucky though ... I knew the people in For Whom the Bell Tolls as well as the people I saw every day in Sun Valley. Papa wrote twenty-four chapters of it when he lived at the Lodge." Williams also describes the inscribed copy of the book that Hemingway presented to him (the only copy bound from the uncorrected galleys), and an original photograph depicting Williams with this inscribed copy is present. Most of the short article, though, is about fly fishing, at which Hemingway excelled despite being most associated with saltwater fishing after so many years in Cuba and following the publishing of The Old Man and the Sea. The other photographs here depict Williams' fishing on various guide trips but of note is an 8 x 10 portrait of Williams guiding a boat, the same image being printed on a Season's Greeting card present here inscribed "Love Dad" by Williams, on the back of which is pencilled "Hemingway insisted Taylor be buried next to his plot in Ketchum" attesting to the very close relationship between these consummate sportsmen.

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