Does anyone get fish mounts right?

[steve white]

Nothing is more beautiful than the shimmering iridescence of a trophy fish (and sometimes its dying colors). Nothing is more disappointing than an unnatural "paint by the numbers" PAINTED over fish mount. When will someone set a higher bar--with an airbrush, or SOMETHING?

 

[JimP]

I had a fantastic fish taxidermist who won numerous awards. His philosophy was that he only did fish and birds, the only big game animal that he ever did was his elk. Sadly he is no longer in business.

So if you want a great mount look for the same type of taxidermist.

 

[freefall]

There are some people up here that do a nice job, they seem to make a whole fake fish out of God Only knows what, but they look good.

 

[Tundra Tiger]

 

[Tundra Tiger]

 

[Tundra Tiger]

 

[Tundra Tiger]

 

[Tundra Tiger]

I'd be interested in knowing what set you off sir.

 

[Tundra Tiger]

One more...

 

[freefall]

He's eating Nemo!! :O

 

[Kevin Peacocke]

Those look wonderful TT, very good work. I hear Steve, bad painting is terrible. Our tiger fish makes a great subject with it's bright orange fins and blue shimmer in the body scales. Few get it right, but when they do you could hang it in an art gallery.

 

[Tundra Tiger]

Thank you for the kind words Kevin. I'd love a crack at a tiger fish someday.

 

[Kevin Peacocke]

Did you di those mounts TT?

 

[Fixfire]

Great fish TT. Love the Rainbow. Only true artists get trout “right”.

 

[Sarg]

View attachment 531871

Fantastic work @Tundra Tiger, I love this mount, Dolly Varden ?

I wonder if you can repair my Tiger Fish from the Deka River lol

I remember he was beautiful when I caught him & around 12lbs

 

[Hunt anything]

Tundra Tiger, great mounts, how big was that crappie?

 

[buck wild]

Nothing is more beautiful than the shimmering iridescence of a trophy fish (and sometimes its dying colors). Nothing is more disappointing than an unnatural "paint by the numbers" PAINTED over fish mount. When will someone set a higher bar--with an airbrush, or SOMETHING?

You aren't looking very hard if you can't find a good fish paint job. What species of fish are you referring to in particular? There's a guy out by Lake Fork that does wonderful bass and has for 20+ yrs

 

[Hunt anything]

Fantastic work @Tundra Tiger, I love this mount, Dolly Varden ?

I wonder if you can repair my Tiger Fish from the Deka River lol

I remember he was beautiful when I caught him & around 12lbs
View attachment 531913

You should be able to get a replica of your tiger, a good taxidermist only need good accurate measurements. They can even use the real jaws.

 

[thi9elsp]

@Tundra Tiger Those are excellently done.

My wife caught a 10-12 lb tiger fish and a red eye tilapia when we were in Zimbabwe. Tried to use a local taxidermist. Ha. The photos they sent me of the finished product were cartoonish with the coloring. Her tiger did not have the bright orange fins, but a subtle pinkish / red to them. I couldn't tell you what form they used for the tilapia.

I found I guy in Connecticut that did them for us. Even then, the photo he sent did not have the pink spots on the tilapia tail. I had to point it out to him in the photo I had provided. However, once fixed, I was happy and Ann thrilled when she opened the box at Christmas.

 

[Ontario Hunter]

This one went out the door yesterday. My daughter does very good work. As I recall, that laker was about 28". It's a replica. I usually do the woodwork but she ordered this "biscuit" from eastern Ontario fella with a shop in his garage. I think it's poplar. Came raw. I finished it with pecan stain to give the blonde wood character.

And this was, I believe, a skin mount. 18" brook trout.

She finished this chinook salmon a few weeks ago.

This rainbow is the second fish she ever did.

Good work is not cheap. The guy paid $700 Canadian for the lake trout. But it will be a showpiece forever.