Shortly after, renowned Scottish woodcarver John Tully (1862-1931) of Fochabers was commissioned to create a detailed carving of the fish for Dr E. T. Fison. The carving was mounted with the original fly and line used to catch the salmon, carefully preserved within the display.
For more than a century, the carving was rarely seen outside the family circle, passing from Dr Fison to his descendants as a treasured reminder of a memorable catch on the Tweed.
When the family decided to offer the carving for sale at Lawrence Auctioneers’ Spring Collectors Sale in Crewkerne, it sparked considerable interest among collectors and anglers alike. Yet the most fitting ending to the story was still to come.
The successful bidders were the owners of the Boathouse, the very place where the salmon had originally been caught over 100 years earlier. After a century away, the carving returned to its birthplace on the banks of the River Tweed.
Click here to find out more about the story of The Boathouse.
The image on the right is a puppet of the iconic King of the River, the salmon, made for Horncliffe Salmon Procession in Northumberland as part of a workshop led by Connecting Threads.
