But impressive specimens in bow-front cases by makers such as J Cooper & Sons still have the capacity to impress – as demonstrated by this 5lb 12oz stuffed and mounted trout by Cooper – landed by T/Sgt RH Burneson of the United States Air Force at Radcot on May 3, 1952.
It achieved £1350 at Moore Allen & Innocent’s sporting sale in Cirencester on February 12.
Another larger trout by Cooper – a 7lbs 7oz fish landed by Mr R Belcher on August 12, 1958, on the Oxfordshire Thames at Radcot Weir – took £2100 against an estimate of £200-300, followed at £1300 for a log book recording catches by the Usk Valley Casting Club between 1917 and 1954. Compiled by female angler Dulcie Bailey, it was annotated with sketches, maps, postcards and photographs.
The buyer’s premium was 18%.
