A pair of lamprey fish caught by a South Cheshire angler 90 years ago, could be sold for up to £8,000 at a Nantwich auction.
The rare stuffed fish (pictured) are already attracting international interest before the Peter Wilson sale later this month.
The lampreys were preserved by the country’s leading taxidermist J. Cooper & Sons, and are displayed in a Cooper bow-fronted glass case.
They have been been sent for sale by members of Crewe Amalgamated Anglers’ Club to help fund repairs to their club premises.
An inscription on the case tells how the fish were caught in the River Severn at Shrewsbury in July 1924.
“It is unusual to find a single lamprey preserved and mounted, but exceptionally rare, if not unique, to find a pair,” said Peter Wilson auctioneer Chris Large.
“The fact the preservation and display work was carried out by Cooper only adds to its importance.
“The high quality of their work and uncompromising attention to detail is unrivalled.”
A spokesman for the angling club, which was founded around 150 years ago, said the display case had hung in their Beech Street premises since it was made.
Its sale will fund essential repairs and ongoing maintenance.
The primitive lamprey is a jawless, scale-less fish, lacking paired fins, whose name translates from the Latin as “stone licker”.
They were once a delicacy – King Henry I is said to have died from eating “a surfeit of lampreys” – but in recent times over-fishing and pollution have reduced their numbers significantly.
For details on the November 27-28 auction at the Market Street venue, contact Chris Large on 01270 623878 or [email protected]
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