WOMAN'S CATCH - BIGGEST SALMON CAUGHT IN BRITAIN FOR SALE AT BONHAMS
THE ONE THAT DIDN’T GET AWAY – MODEL OF THE BIGGEST SALMON CAUGHT IN BRITAIN – FOR SALE AT BONHAMS
At Bonhams Sporting Sale on 7th November in Edinburgh, a huge chunk of fishing history goes under the hammer – a magnificent carved wooden model of the biggest salmon ever landed in Britain.
This 64-pound monster was landed by a woman angler, Georgina Ballantine, adding interest to the history of this record catch. It is estimated to sell for £4,000-6,000.
Georgina Ballantine caught the largest salmon ever recorded in British waters one evening while fishing with her ghillie father and using a Malloch rod and reel. Mallochs took a plaster cast of the fish and there have been later facsimile glass models. This fish would appear to date from the 1920s and is a wooden block model.
A Malloch block model of Miss Ballantine's fish carved and naturalistically painted on a wooden backboard by P.D. Malloch, Perth, and inscribed: '64lb caught 1922 Miss G.W. Ballantine, River Tay Scotland' and within an oak frame 142cm wide.
Henry Baggott, of Bonhams Sporting Department, comments: “This model must represents one of the most saught after fishing memorabilia items for anyone who has ever caste a line in the water hoping for a bite. It is top of the tree in terms of fishing collectables.”
The Sporting Sale includes a wide range of sporting memorabilia from paintings of game birds, including an Archibald Thorburn ‘Partridge Dusting’ for £3,000 5,000, portraits of horses, many more mounted fish including a 21lb pike and a charming ‘Snaffles’ portrait. Charlie Johnson Payne, 'Snaffles' (British, 1884-1967) 'The Right Man on the Wrong 'Oss' and 'The Wrong Man on The Right 'Oss.' Circa 1912, titled in watercolour. Printed and hand coloured it is estimated to sell for £800 to £1,000.
Bonhams
Bonhams, founded in 1793, is one of the world's largest auctioneers of fine art and antiques. The present company was formed by the merger in November 2001 of Bonhams & Brooks and Phillips Son & Neale. In August 2002, the company acquired Butterfields, the principal firm of auctioneers on the West Coast of America. Today, Bonhams offers more sales than any of its rivals, through two major salerooms in London: New Bond Street and Knightsbridge; and a further three in the UK regions and Scotland. Sales are also held in San Francisco, Los Angeles, Carmel, New York and Connecticut in the USA; and Germany, France, Monaco, Hong Kong and Australia. Bonhams has a worldwide network of offices and regional representatives in 25 countries offering sales advice and valuation services in 60 specialist areas. For a full listing of upcoming sales, plus details of Bonhams specialist departments go towww.bonhams.com.