Fishing Forum

So in hopes of catching a "wall hanger" this year, I have a question...
How do you keep the color from fading before you get back to the taxidermist? I've heard to use borax, keep the fish on ice, wrap it in a wet t-shirt, etc.
I'm familiar with the pros and cons of just taking pics/measurements and having a recreation done so lets just stay off that topic for now.
I'm just curious, should I choose to have the real skin used, how do I keep the color there?
I figured a group of pros like the ones found here would have some good advice
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Detailed pictures are your best bet.

The taxidermist will paint it anyway when he is finishing it up.
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Lay the fish flat and wrap it in a damp towel, Be sure the fins are up against the body so they dont get creased. Place in a cooler with ice but try to keep it from soaking in water. As was stated the taxidermist will paint the fish anyway. It is helpful if he can see the original spot patern. Good color photos of the fish when it is fresh are also helpful. The most important thing however is to keep the fish damp not soaked and keep it cold. If it will be a awhile before you can get to the taxidermist wrap the fish and towel in a plastic garbage bag. Get as much air out as possible and seal tightly.Lay it flat in your freezer. Borax can help a little but it is not a huge factor. If you choose to go with borax the 20 mule team stuff at the local store works fine. Hope that helps. Attached are 2 pics of a Laker, 1 before paint and one after so you get an idea.
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Depending on the species of fish you want to get mounted, a fiberglass replica may be the best option. I kept a catfish to get mounted and a now seems the mount is going to be done with a fiberglass replica. Got the impression form the taxidermist that catfish are difficult to skin and he couldn't find a head to fit. A bass mount is cheapest and quick to buy a replica from BassProShops. I hear a replica will last better than a skin mount as well.
To preserve your fish if you want to do a skin mount, sprinkle a little borax soap mostly around the fins and wrap in damp towel and freeze. Best have a pic of the fish when it is fresh and make a note of some measurements because they will change color and also shrink when frozen.
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There are many manufactures of fish blanks. Some better than others. Mouth detail can be an issue but again on the higher quality blanks this detail is much better. Catfish and almost all ocean fish are best done as replicas. Almost all cold water fish, Trout, Char and Salmon get an artificial head even on skin mounts. The heads on these fish are very fatty and are prone to an enourmous amount of shrinkage. The shrinkage must be rebuilt if the natural head were used. Warm water speciers can be skin mounted with the natural head. The biggest plus for some folks on a replica is the fish can be measured, photographed and released. A taxidermist that is good with an airbrush can make a high quality blank look as good as any skin mount. How long will they last? A skin mount will last as long as a blank if kept in a good environment. A replica mount will cost more than a skin mount because good blanks are fairly expensive. I am attaching a picture of a spawn colored brookie. Tell me if it is a replica or a skin mount
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Cool, thanks for the input guys! Nice pics of the lake trout and brookie too, I love brookies.
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Just a guess but a replica, no matter what it is dam good..
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Cliff you got it right. It is a replica. Thanks for the kindly words on the mount. The mouth detail on this fish blank is pretty good. You can see the teeth well so I thought folks might guess skin mount.
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No doubt a replica will last longer than a skin mount, but I have a skin mount of a 26 in. 7 1/2 lb. male German Brown that was mounted in the summer of 1976 by Strebel's Taxidermy in Ogden and it still looks good. I caught it just below Pineview Dam that May. Dan Johnson of Wilderness Taxidermy in Syracuse has done several fish for the wife and I. You can see a sample of his work in my photo gallery. Good luck in your quest for a wall hanger [fishin] Sorry BassHunter 1 that was meant for ProfessorChaos.[shocked]
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Hey PACKFAN are the fish that Dan mounted in your gallery skin or reproductions?
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How much does Taxidermy cost? Say you were going to have a 25 inch trout mounted? Skin and replica? I don't need an exact dollar amount, just a ball park answer would be appreciated.
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Around 18-$20 per inch for a reputable taxidermist. Sid Killian is the best I know, but he's tough to get right now.
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They are all skin mounts.
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Makes me so happy I went with Dan!
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Oh, goodness. Maybe I can get a bluegill done.
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There are alot of good taxidermists out there, Dan's shop is close and he does nice work. I try to stop and visit him once a week or so, and I enjoy looking at his work. I really like the pedistal mount of the three different color phases of black bear he his mounting for a guy. You probably saw it when you dropped your walleye off. Dan has also done our turkey mounts, pair of wood ducks, several deer and my elk mount. I have been very satisfied with his work.
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X2 on Dan. He is a great guy, works hard and does great work.
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In my studies, a replica costs twice as much as a skin mount so if you don't have the cash, skin it. I'm all for letting them go to live another day but sometimes you can't. The Largie I caught last summer and it didn't make it so I figured I'd rather enjoy looking at it than eat it, I think it turned out pretty awesome. Here are a couple mounts that Kevin Gerhart has done for me and he does a great job. His business is called Swamp Man Taxidermy and he doesn't just do a heck of a job, he's a really great guy to deal with. When I catch a fish and want it mounted he tells me to keep it cold till I get it home then dry it off with a towel, rub borax on it, fins and gills are the most important, and then wrap it in newspaper and tape it together with masking tape and immediately freeze it. Good pics are a must as well. If you're looking for a good taxidermist call Kevin at 435-225-6330, I've seen a lot of the work he's done and it's really good. Mounted a deer for me also and it turned out awesome, hear are a few pics of what he's done for me. [inline IMG_4370.jpg][inline IMG_5428.jpg][inline IMG_4678.jpg]
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Sweet! Thanks for the info. Nice muley too man! I'm thrilled with the big game dude I go to - Tyler Anderson, Anderson Taxidermy. He's done a deer and Pronghorn for me that I love. I think men look at a taxidermist like women look at a hair dresser... A good relationship and personality go almost as far as the work they do. Haha
Unfortunately he only does big game, so if I do catch a big one I'd like to know the best course of action.
Those fish look great! I'll save the contact info on my phone.
Thanks again.
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Probably one of the best taxidermists in Northern Utah for big game is Roger Early (Mountain Man Taxidermy) He lives in laketown (Bear lake). He has done alot of Mounts for Cabela's. Roger and I use to Guide on Deseret L&L together and he did alot of beautiful mounts for the hunters on the Ranch. I'll post a couple pics of the mounts he has done for the wife and I.
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