Winchester Press

[brandon simmons]

Yes, this is my first post.  I am trading in my lurker status beacuse I need your collective knowledge.

Does anybody have any information regarding the venerable Winchester Press?  They published some of the greatest fly fishing (and hunting) books while most of us were in diapers. Marinaro, Shwiebert, Swisher & Richards, Dana Lamb, Steve Raymond, Milford Pontroon (seriously, find a copy of “Fish Good”) and the list goes on.  

I don’t know anything about the institution’s origins, nor its demise.  I doubt whether it was actually associated with Winchester Ammunitions (“The Gun that Won the West”).  I was under the impression it was purchased by a larger book publisher in the 80s, but am without facts.  

Any ideas?

[anonymous]

http://academiclearningcompany.com/about.html

webpage in the wings
http://www.academiclearningcompany.com/winchesterpress.html

I think they were connected with Nick Lyons Books somehow for a while.

[Mark Schafer]

Brandon,

[brandon simmons]

I am looking for infomation.  
How did such a reputable publisher simply fade into the 80s?  Where did they come from?  etc.

Good find, Scott.  Funny how pac-man-like the publishing industry is.  Seems Winchester lost independence in 1982.
I also recall a Nick Lyons connection, but have been unable to prove it. Globe Pequet Press purchased Lyons Press in 2001.  I asked them but they are unfamiliar with Winchester Press.

Nick has a library collection at Montana State University: http://www.lib.montana.edu/collect/spcoll/findaid/2475.html
The intro is a testimonial to how often publishers change their identity.  Interestingly, there is an entire box dedicated to communications between Nick Lyons and Winchester Press.  I am having the contents of Box 34 #6 photocopied by their kind librarian.

The librarian at the American Museum of Fly Fishing was unable to provide any answers.
Not sure where to look next.

Any ideas?

[anonymous]

Brandon, the two Winchester Press books I currently have are Marinaro’s Dry Fly Code and Leiser’ Fly-Tying Materials. Both say “Produced by Nick Lyons Books” and “Published and distributed by Winchester Press, New Century Publishers, Inc.”

Chomp-Chomp  🙂

PS 1970 and 1973 copyrights

[brandon simmons]

Ah-ha.

[Author]

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