FISH FIELD CARE GUIDE

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A quality taxidermy mount starts with you, and it begins prior to your catch and the minute you land your catch.  Whether you choose to do a skin mount or a reproduction, please use utmost care when handling your fish. Consider using a rubber tangle-free net to cause little or no harm to the fish. Minimize the amount of time you handle the fish. 

 

Reproduction:

With today's popularity of catch and release you still have the opportunity to take the adventure home. To ensure we can reproduce your catch of a lifetime, you will need to take as many quality photographs as possible. Please try to avoid direct sunlight in your photos. Also, be sure to document the length of your catch.

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Skin Mount:

Remember to use a rubber net to land your fish. Carefully dispatch your fish immediately to prevent unnecessary thrashing. Take as many photographs as soon as you can, keeping in mind that the color of a fish can diminish within minutes. Try to avoid direct sunlight for your photographs and be gentle when handling. There is no need to put your fish on a stringer or to gut it, this will only cause damage.

 

You'll hear many people tell you to wrap your fish in a wet towel and freeze. Please do not do this. The towel can actually pull scales from your fish. The best thing you can do is to be prepared. Bring a large, heavy duty trash bag and a box or two of Mule Team Borax, found in the laundry detergent isle of most grocery stores. Coat your fish in Borax and wrap it in the heavy duty plastic bag. This will prevent bacteria from forming on your fish. Place your fish immediatly in the freezer, and be sure to keep it flat. Or, if local, please bring to studio immediately. 

 

Please note that the meat of a skin mount fish cannot be eaten. While all the tips above are to guide you to achieve the best mount you can imagine, you need to understand that not all fish make great mounts. Some things to consider are the time of the year, the location, the age and fish morphology.

 

Please do not ship your fish to our studio without contacting us first. Once your fish is received we will evaluate and discuss all options available to you. If you have any additional questions please reach out to us. We're here to help you.

 

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