President Bush Catches Big Tarpon

[Phil Lilley]

Former President George H. W. Bush caught a mammoth tarpon Saturday while fishing off the Florida Keys near Islamorada, Fla., according to the Florida Keys News Agency.

Bush chose to release the giant with an estimated weight of around 135 pounds -- the largest tarpon the 84-year-old ex-president has ever caught, the agency reported. The boat on which he was fishing had a legal harvest tag.

In place of the fishing trophy, a fiberglass reproduction mount will be commissioned to hang in the George H. W. Bush Presidential Library at Texas A&M University.

Bush, accompanied by former Olympic skiier Andy Mill, wrapped up a weekend angling trip to the Keys Sunday, the agency reported.

[skeeter]

Nice Fish ! Even more nice, he released it. Must have been a pretty good fight for a man of 84 !

I'm wondering if the taxidermists do a better job with the "Silver Kings" these days ? I've yet to see a mount that does justice to the beauty of these fish. Understandably, they just cannot seem to capture the reflectivity of their scales and when you get one alongside the boat they are almost mirror-like they are so bright. The 150 I had done in 1983 was a huge disappointment when it was uncrated.

Thanks for posting.

[taxidermist]

The silver is hard to capture and along with that the skills of each taxidermist is different.

To do it correctly take a lot of time few are really willing to put that much time into anything..

I developed a really bright silver technique but still does not do them justice. But its the brightest silver out there and I refuse to sell it out after 30 years I can say its mine and then you still have to detail the scales with a series of candy paints, which again due to their cost and the fact few taxidermist will spent the $$$$$$

Seems most are alwasy looking for the cheaper socalled better way and there is none, its eighter do it right and pay up front of the end quality will suffer.

One of the big things today is using metallic powders, sad to say that they just dont help and are not any better than quality paint and knowing how to use that paint. hen there is the gloss cheap gloss always shows up!! Just like a paint job on a car the paint on a fish all starts with the base coat and that gets built on.

But like you I have yet to see a mount or reproduction than does the tarpon justice!!!

[Trav]

Pretty impressive!

[Bobber Dude]

Keep the fish loose the kid!

[strangercreek]

Keep the fish loose the kid!

I was waiting for a "Bush bashing" on that one... oh well

[Gavin]

Nice...bout the neatest tarpon display I've seen was simply a single scale from the fish, mounted with a picture..Dont think I've ever seen a tarpon mount that has captured the essence of the fish, same with bonefish..always to gray, and they seem to lack prism effect.