a picture of a collection of fly fishing flies in a shadow boxseveral different types of flies are displayed on a black backgroundfour different types of flies are shown on a black background
Premium MILLON

173 - EIGHT RARE VICTORIAN SALMON FLIES
See original version (French)

Estimate €1,000 - €1,500
Description
EIGHT RARE VICTORIAN SALMON FLIES Displayed without a modern black-backed frame: 26 x 39 cm. In the centre is a reproduction of a woodcut from 1555 depicting the head of a bearded salmon (from Pierre Belon du Mans’s book on the Nature & Diversity of Fish, reproduced on the back of the frame). Eight rare, very large Victorian salmon flies (4/0 to 8/0), most of which have never been used, tied between 1890 and 1930. All named on the back of the frame: ‘fully dressed’, including: Greenwell Fancy, Eagle Traherne, Durham Ranger, Silver Arndilly, Durham Kelson, Eagle Namsen, Red Sandy, Alta Elva. Scotland, circa 1880–1910. All specimens predate the Convention. Note ‘Victorian’ flies – dating from the reign of Queen Victoria (1837–1901) – were used from the second half of the 19th century onwards for salmon fishing, particularly in Scotland, but also in Ireland and Norway. Their extremely delicate construction required hours of patience. At that time, labour was cheap and the feathers from exotic birds, needed to make them, arrived in large quantities in the luggage of travellers and officers of the Empire. Provenance Private French collection.
See original version (French)
About the sale Natural History
Auction location
Auction time 11/18/2026 at 2:00 PM
Pictures credits: Contact the Auction House
You may also like