A number of items in Bonhams next fishing sale at Henley on July 15th have royal connections.

Megan Boyd, one of the greatest trout and salmon fly-tiers, who produced lures for Prince Charles amongst others, is recalled at this sale by a framed set of flies tied by Ms Boyd at the age of just 15, in 1930. Lot number 135 is expected to attract bids in the region of £500 to £700.

Megan Boyd’s work numbers seven Fully Dressed Salmon Flies, namely: Popham, Black Doctor, Snow Fly, Thunder & Lightning, Green Highlander, Mar Lodge and Silver Doctor, displayed in a gilt framed shadow box, the display signed and dated: Megan Boyd 1930. Size: 23cm x 30cm x 4.5cm. This fascinating item is accompanied by a newspaper cutting showing Ms Boyd holding the frame of flies, further cuttings and an image of her headstone.

The wedding of Prince Charles and Lady Diana Spencer is commemorated at this sale by a fly fishing rod. Fishing tackle manufacturer, A C. Farlow & Co. Ltd. produced a Charles and Diana Royal Tribute two piece built cane fly rod 8ft 7in. It has scarlet tipped royal blue whippings throughout and alloy and walnut reel seat, No.32 in maker’s brown cloth bag with original labels and aluminium tube, the whole in blue canvas sleeve, little used together with a limited edition No.67/2000 Heritage Collection silver commemorative dish, inscribed on the rim HRH The Prince of Wales 29th July 1981 Lady Diana Spencer. This lot is estimated to sell for £300 to £500.

Princess Margaret is another interesting royal connection to this sale. The Princess opened the Hardy Museum in 1987 and Lot 54 is a Hardy reel frame casting by Sid Carr, the Hardy Foundry Supervisor. The estimate for this lot is £300 to £500.

Sid Carr’s last casting is mounted on a stained pine plinth with a plaque inscribed with his name and the date 11th February 1993. It is accompanied by a photograph of Princess Margaret meeting Mr. Carr, an invitation and programme of events for the opening of the Hardy Museum by Princess Margaret on Saturday 18th July 1987, and an issue of Forward Magazine showing Mr. Carr at work.

SAD SALMON
No fishing sale would be complete without an image of the quarry all this tackle is used to pursue – a great image of a 32lb salmon taken in 1924 at Chapel Pool on the Rover Spey! Lot 190 is a carved salmon with image of its captor, offered by his daughter. Rather sadly this carving has been languishing in the family attic since its owner, Thomas Losco-Bradley died. An object like this, new to the market, has attracted an estimate of £1,800 to £2,500. The carved and painted half block salmon is mounted on a varnished grained backboard with bevelled edges, the legend reads : 32lbs Caught by T. Losco Bradley in Chapel Pool River Spey June 7th 1924. Overall 42cm x 134cm. Losco-Bradley was a brewer in Nottingham who used to go up to Scotland every year to fish before the war.

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