A SALMON caught a century ago has fittingly returned to the estate where it was originally taken - at a cost of £17,000.

The impressive fish, which weighed in at a whopping 51lb and was 148cm long, was mounted on a wooden display panel after it was caught in a village in Northumberland.

It was discovered by chance in a home in South Somerset, although there are no details of how it came to be there.

An inscription on the half block carved salmon show that it was made by the Fochaber Studio, probably by John Tully.

It was made for Dr E. T. Fison in October 1922 shortly after the fish was landed at Norham on Tweed and was retailed by Forrest and Sons of Kelso, in the Scottish borders.

It had not previously been seen outside the Fison family and had passed from Dr Fison through his family to his descendants.

They offered it for sale at Lawrence Auctioneers of Crewkerne's spring collectors sale, where it attracted a huge amount of interest.

There was plenty of enquiries prior to the auction and after a feverish bidding battle, the auctioneer's hammer came down on a healthy £17,000 bid, plus a buyer's premium.

The buyers were the owners of the estate where the fish was originally caught.

Simon Jones, of Lawrences Auctioneers of Crewkerne, said: “This was an amazing find and a great story.

"The fish came from a routine home visit in South Somerset and it is amazing to see this going home to the very place where it was caught a century ago.

"It now has pride of place in the owner’s boathouse next to the pool where it was caught.

"The new owner has supplied photos to show the fish back where it best belongs.”

The fish was transported more than 400 miles back to the boathouse in Norham on Tweed after the sale.