# How to preserve the fish that you want to mount



## badboy (Jun 28, 2006)

Hello all, just have a question on what I should do when the time comes and I catch that dream fish that will go on my wall. I have never had a trout mounted before, the reason is I have never caught one that I wanted to mount. I've seen plenty on here and I want your advise on what I need to do when that day come to keep my fish fresh as you would say to get it to a fish taxidermy. Thanks in advance.


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## CoastalOutfitters (Aug 20, 2004)

get accurate measurments and several clear photos

then buy a fiberglass mount


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## mrs puddle shuttle (May 4, 2007)

Be gentle with the scales, especially with a trout. Wrap it in a wet towel, bag it, then lay it gently in the freezer. Obviously, if you can take it immediately to the taxidermist then there is no reason to freeze it. Please don't leave it on ice too long.
Mrs PS


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## dennis_99 (Feb 27, 2006)

Thats the same advice I've heard as well Mrs. Puddle Shuttle


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## CM (Jan 25, 2005)

You do not really need to use a wet towel, but if you feel you need to its OK.

Here is what I tell my customers, put the fish in a BLACK trash bag, roll it up to put layers of plastic around the fish. *FREEZE IT*. The layers of plastic will not let it freezer burn.

Now, most taxidermist that have been in business for a long time (at 30 years) will usually recommend a reproduction of the fish. Either way, use a plastic bag and you can't go wrong.


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## TexasFlats (Mar 29, 2007)

CoastalOutfitters said:


> get accurate measurments and several clear photos
> 
> then buy a fiberglass mount


I agree. Photos are much easier to deal with than a dead fish. Plus, you can release the fish if all you need is a photo.:biggrin:

CM - a little expert advice please - skin mounts will go bad after a while, won't they? Newer techniques are surely better, but all of the old skin mounts I have ever seen don't look that good anymore.

TF


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## salth2o (Sep 21, 2004)

IMHO, there is no comparison between a skin mount and a fiberglass replica. If I wanted a fiberglass replica, I would go ahead and get it then wait to catch the fish. I am all for catch and release, but if/when I catch what I consider a trophy trout (something over 8#)...a skin mount is going on the wall.


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## dennis_99 (Feb 27, 2006)

salth2o said:


> IMHO, there is no comparison between a skin mount and a fiberglass replica. If I wanted a fiberglass replica, I would go ahead and get it then wait to catch the fish. I am all for catch and release, but if/when I catch what I consider a trophy trout (something over 8#)...a skin mount is going on the wall.


I agree....


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## CM (Jan 25, 2005)

TexasFlats said:


> I agree. Photos are much easier to deal with than a dead fish. Plus, you can release the fish if all you need is a photo.:biggrin:
> 
> CM - a little expert advice please - skin mounts will go bad after a while, won't they? Newer techniques are surely better, but all of the old skin mounts I have ever seen don't look that good anymore.
> 
> TF


If you take care of your skin mount, it should last for many, many years to come. One of the keys to caring for skin mounts is to keep them from direct sun light. Remember your dealing with a skin thats brittle. Also remember that all reproductions are not all that good. Tell the taxidermist to show you their reproductions. Some have closed gills, skinny bellies, and are just not that good.

Most of the problem with some of the old skin mounts are they are not the best mounted, and they also had a problem with running the airbrush. Most trout mounts look grey.

Here is a skin mount of a *37" speckled trout* that was mounted back in 1938, Ronnie luster brought it to me to repaint and repair fins. It was his dads and it meant a lot to him no matter how the mount looked. It came out pretty good.


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## CM (Jan 25, 2005)

here is a photo of a reproduction trout. Big difference.


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## TexasFlats (Mar 29, 2007)

Small world. I have a photo of that fish before the new paint job. Ron and Preston are friends of mine. Heck of a story behind that fish and another Bonefish mount.

TF


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## CM (Jan 25, 2005)

Yea, can you believe Bonefish in Pt Oconner? The story is really something else, Ronnie was really happy to get his dads fish back, and I don't much blame him.


37" Trout WOW.


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## dennis_99 (Feb 27, 2006)

That skin mount is awesome CM; what a fish!!!!!!


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## capt. david (Dec 29, 2004)

very nice artwork cm. skin mounts are the only way to go!


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## TexasFlats (Mar 29, 2007)

There's another story about one year, many years ago, when it froze and the North wind blew all the water out of the bay in POC - they found dead trout _much_ larger than that one. I don't remember the details, so I won't lie.

Where did I put that time machine? (and will my boat fit in it):biggrin:

TF


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## Sweet Action (Mar 27, 2008)

An old man once told me to slide the fish in some womens pantyhose, then gently wrap it in a towl. But I'm sure my buddies would soon to wonder y i have womens pantyhose in my boat.lol Just what i heard.


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## TexasFlats (Mar 29, 2007)

Hook'ed Up said:


> An old man once told me to slide the fish in some womens pantyhose, then gently wrap it in a towl. But I'm sure my buddies would soon to wonder y i have womens pantyhose in my boat.lol Just what i heard.


Probably have a more difficult time explaining it to your wife :spineyes: :work:

TF


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## CM (Jan 25, 2005)

Ok, lets mention *pantyhose*, LEAVE THEM WITH THE WIFE, they do *nothing *to help out.

I believe that started with ducks. Some reporter wrote how to keep ducks, and thats what he was either told or thats what he did. Again LEAVE THEM WITH THE WIFE.

Simple, use a BLACK TRASH BAG.


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## mrs puddle shuttle (May 4, 2007)

Just goes to show.....talk to the taxidermist that is going to mount the fish, first. They may tell you something different. WE always told our customers to wrap it in a wet towel if possible.


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## redduck (Jul 26, 2006)

I was told by a taxidermist 25 years ago (thats how long it has been since I caught anything worth mounting) but he said do not wrap in plastic or towel first. To use newspaper because after freezing the newspaper would not stick to the scales and fins and possibly damage. When it thawed just rinse it off and the newpaper slid right off. He said after the newspaper you could put in plastic bag. Just my 2.


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## TexasFlats (Mar 29, 2007)

Here's the "before" picture -


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## Free_loader (Nov 4, 2004)

TexasFlats said:


> Here's the "before" picture -


amazing!


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## CM (Jan 25, 2005)

Thanks for the Before photo, I forgot just how bad it was.


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## TexasFlats (Mar 29, 2007)

CM - 

You do great work. Thanks for helping to preserve what I consider a Texas treasure.

TexasFlats


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## mastercylinder60 (Dec 18, 2005)

TexasFlats said:


> Heck of a story behind that fish ....


care to share the story?


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## TexasFlats (Mar 29, 2007)

I put in call to Ron to see if we can get the story from the source.

TF


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## wet dreams (May 21, 2004)

I used to tell my clients to use a wet towel to protect the tail from breaking in the freezer. When I did Taxi work I would much rather do a skin mount cuz IMO they looked so much better than a repl in both paint and fine detail.


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## dennis_99 (Feb 27, 2006)

Wow, that before/after shot is amazing! Thanks again for sharing.


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## salth2o (Sep 21, 2004)

seeing the before pic, really makes you appreciate the after pic


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## butch (May 1, 2007)

If you you wrap your fish in newspaper the ink print gets on the fish. I wouldn't do that.

I always froze them in a big plastic baggie full of water. just my 2 cents


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## salth2o (Sep 21, 2004)

butch said:


> If you you wrap your fish in newspaper the ink print gets on the fish. I wouldn't do that.
> 
> I always froze them in a *big plastic baggie* full of water. just my 2 cents


the discussion is about mounting fish, not filleting them!


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## butch (May 1, 2007)

I relize that all the fish I save for mounting I freeze in a solid block of ice. when they melt there is no damage to the fins.

I know what the discussion is about.


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## TickTackTrout (Apr 11, 2008)

Jeez, I would love to just catch something like that, then worry about mounting it. Those fish are huuuuuuuggggeeeeeeeeee


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## salth2o (Sep 21, 2004)

butch said:


> I relize that all the fish I save for mounting I freeze in a solid block of ice. when they melt there is no damage to the fins.
> 
> I know what the discussion is about.


Lighten up big fella' . . .don't you see the


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## PhotoFish (Aug 9, 2015)

I'm resurrecting this thread from the depths of the 2cool graveyard because I have a few question about mounting fish.

1. Who do you recommend in the Houston/Galveston for skin mounts? I see that CM is over in LaMarque, is he still in business?

2. Research suggests a wet tshirt or towel, wrapped in a plastic bag. Is this still the best advice?

3. HOW is a skin mount done? Do they actually skin the fish? I wouldn't want a replica, and if a skin mount isn't truly the actual fish I caught, then I'll just take pictures. 

I know that when I catch my first fish, on my first boat, on my first hand built rod, on my first artificial lure, that I'm going to want to mount it. I just want it to be the actual fish....


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