FAQ

Q: What is a skin mount?

A: A skin mounted fish is exactly this: it is your fish with the skin removed and a custom carved foam body inserted then positioned accordingly before being left to dry. The shrunken areas are rebuilt and painted. This is a very basic fish mount.

Q: What is a reproduction?

A: A reproduction is a fiberglass cast of an actual fresh fish. These fish are molded fresh to ensure no shrinking. This produces a fish that is closer in realism than a skin mount. The fiberglass cast is then prepared and painted. This is what separates the artistic taxidermists from others as it is basically like painting on a canvas. There are no existing markings or details as in the skin mount, only white. The whole process calls upon every inch of our God-given artistic ability.

Q: What’s better a reproduction or a skin mount?

A: We at Aquatic Artistry prefer reproductions and custom casting. In fact, most of our pictures in the gallery are reproductions.We prefer this method because they are the most accurate. In skin mounts, the head and fins shrink; whereas, with the reproduction nothing shrinks as it is a custom cast of a fresh fish. Some skin mounts can be very nice as well but they need to have the fins and head cast in order to maintain the exact size of your fish. This is the only way to prohibit shrinking of the fins and head. Reproductions have been given a bad name due to mass production of them and the inability to have them successfully painted. They often end up looking very fake. That doesn’t happen here. Our reproductions actually look better than a standard skin mounted fish.

Q: Do I need photos?

A: It is a good idea for either a skin mount or a reproduction to provide a photo or two of your fish. Quality pictures greatly increase the accuracy of the final product. If you do not have a photo, we can work with you on selecting the right color for your fish with our vast inventory of fish reference photos.

Q: How do I take care of my trophy fish until I get it to you?

A: The care of your trophy is very important with fish. You should wrap your fresh caught fish with a soaking wet towel while making sure the fins are laid flat to the body, then thoroughly wrap in a trash bag and place it flat in a freezer. Once fish is frozen and towel is dry, wrap the plastic bag with duct or masking tape. (Never wrap fish tightly with tape if fish is not frozen.) If you are going to ship the frozen fish, wrap the trash bag with multiple layers of newspaper and place it flat in a cooler (a cheap one is fine).

Q: When should I get my fish to you?

A: As soon as possible. Your fish will turn out better if mounted sooner. Freezers can dry fish out and burn the skin if not wrapped properly. A fresh fish is always the best fish! However, that doesn’t mean a fish that has been sitting in a freezer for a year cannot be mounted. It just means that more work will probably be needed to make your fish look just right (there may be an extra charge associated with this due to more time needed to finish the fish).

Q: I live a ways away, can I still have you mount my fish?

A: Of course. Shipping is easy. Ship your frozen fish directly to Aquatic Artistry and when completed, we will crate your mount and ship it back to you. No problem.

Q: I caught a beautiful fish the other day and want a reproduction but I’m thinking about waiting a while before getting it done. Is this a good idea?

A: That is up to you. However, if you were that excited about your trophy fish when you caught it, the sooner you have a permanent visual reminder of it, the better you’ll remember it. Pictures of your mount tend to end up in a box somewhere and are seldom seen, but your memory can and will keep its flavor with a constant reminder of a beautifully painted reproduction hanging on your wall or sitting on your coffee table. This is an art in its truest form. It is like purchasing a wildlife painting that reminds you of a place in the outdoors you fell in love with. Memories fade. Replicas don’t.

Q: How close can you get the measurements of my original fish to match my reproduction?

A: Usually very close. There are thousands of fiberglass casts available to us through other companies including the hundreds we have in stock on the premises. We don’t just mold one size of fish in a certain species and call it quits. We keep molding different poses for the same size fish along with different sizes of a species of fish. We always try to get as close as we can to the size of the fish you caught.

Q: The guy down the road is a couple of dollars cheaper per inch. I’m a bargain hunter and was wondering, aren't all taxidermists the same?

A: Unfortunately, not all taxidermists are artists. We try not to compare our work to other taxidermists but there is one thing you must keep in mind: You always get what you pay for! Cheaper price usually means a lesser quality mount. This can be seen time and time again. You can take your mount to a cheaper taxidermist but you run the risk of it not looking anything like the fish you caught. The shrunken areas are not rebuilt and the paint job leaves little to be desired. So while you are out bargain hunting, keep this in mind: The bitterness of poor quality remains long after the sweetness of low price is forgotten.