Out & About June 2017

Reeling them in If you’re a lover of country pursuits and looking for some vintage mementoes, then THOMAS PLANT says you could land yourself a great catch at auction H unting, shooting and fishing have long since been the pastimes of royalty and the landed gentry, but the items relating to country pursuits appeal to a wide range of people who enjoy outdoor sports. Auctions are a great place to catch or hunt yourself a bargain… Collectors fall roughly into a couple of Two centuries later and jointed examples, which were 17-foot-long and made from several different types of wood, often with a whalebone tip, became common. We also see a huge demand for tribal fishing and hunting relics, such as Inuit or South Pacific items. The design of fishing rods has really

categories; those who buy antique items for display purposes, and those who buy the more modern pieces to use. Antique hunting rifles and shotguns can be found at auction. Punt guns (big shotguns used to shoot large numbers of waterfowl) dating from the 19th and 20th-centuries can be bought for a couple of hundred pounds right into the high thousands. Modern shotguns used for clay shots can also be bought at auction for as little as £50 depending on the maker. We sell fine binoculars in our regular camera auctions. The top-grade binoculars made by the famous German manufacturer Leitz get snapped up quickly. A typical popular model is the Trinovid; some come with weatherproof rubber coating for extra protection, making them ideal for outdoor pursuits. They can realise more than £1,000. Other good makes to look out for are Zeiss and Nikon, which can be found at auction for a few hundred pounds upwards. The first fishing rods can be dated back to 2000BC when they were made from wood with a horsehair line attached.

advanced over the years, with stronger and lighter materials used. Now carbon fibre and graphite examples are the most popular with fishermen, replacing older examples of cane and fibreglass. Modern rods are any made from the 1980s onwards and those made by Hardy’s and Brigg & Co sell very well and are most likely to be bought to be used. Only a few diehards fish with antique rods – doing this is a bit of a risk, as a big fish could break them. Vintage items made by Hardy’s, a British Company founded in 1872 in Alnwick Northumberland (originally a gunsmith who then started manufacturing fishing tackle), are very sought-after today, with some of their modern rods valued at £1000. Even more popular than rods are vintage reels and fly boxes and some of the smaller equipment, perhaps because they are much easier to store and display. Again, Hardy’s is a sought-after make, alongside Farlows and Bruce & Walker. Fly boxes can sell for £50 – £100 per lot and reels for similar amounts.

46

Made with