Any Taxidermist Out There?

[jay bird]

I have a question. I caught a fairly large Striper last year (Over 30#s) and was going to get it mounted. I took it to a local guy, but to my knowledge he has never done a Striper before. Saw some of the work in the shop and it looked ok. I have heard that he may have to do a replica head and a real fish body. Has anyone heard of this having to do a replica head. I never have, but really do not know that much about mounting a fish. The reason was that Striper heads are to oily. Any way guy has had the fish since May and am hoping that he does a good job, but am a little worried if he knows what he is doing.

[taxidermist]

I have been mounting fish since 1977. At first we only reproduced trout heads, now many times we do the whole fish. I say we, but not all taxidermist have the same skill levels. Dont have the same knowledge.

Many buy a head and then you have to deal with it really not fitting and thats ok but it takes time to make it work too.

I have been molding fish and fish heads, fins since the mid to early 1980's. While I can do a skin mount head on a large striper and I know it will never bleed grease, it is not quit as accruate as a head I would reproduce. The mold is made after removing all slime, th emold is made of silicone rubber thats pretty pricey unless you buy it in bulk like I do. to do a single fish the mold will cost $50.$60.00 just the head now.

Fin molds are made of a resin much like fiberglass resin. and then the fins are laid up just like a boat would be. Why fins? fins are fleshy and they will shrink and curl if not carefull. a reproduced fins is forever. Same with an well molded head.

The body should be carved, a commercial body never fits the skin, its not molded from that skin so you spend as much time modlifing a commercial bought body as you would carving a body.

If the taxidermist has not done many large fish they will have tons and tons of trouble, they have to learn somewhere and its your fish they are learning on.

http://s264.photobucket.com/albums/ii177/Johns_fish/

cruise thru my pages if you need more answers I will handle that. The laergest striper I have done is 57 + lbs and it had the real head and never had grease or oil bleed. I have a sayin gif you don't remove it its a bug buffet.

for years many of us have replaced trout head and the rebuilding of trout haeads is now a pretty much lost skill, some beginners will try but the end result dont look like a trout head.

Today I cast a trout head with a new material first time moldin git and castin git, its pretty good has every detail the real head had, like I said its a new product in developement and I am doing the field testing for the maker.

Good luck

JOhn

[jay bird]

Thanks for the reply. That is a nasty looking Brown Recluse bite in your pictures. I am going to go talk to my guy this week and see what is going on.

[taxidermist]

Thanks for the reply. That is a nasty looking Brown Recluse bite in your pictures. I am going to go talk to my guy this week and see what is going on.

Jay bird Hold off a week, I think Russ (Visions of Wildlife Taxidermy) may came down with your fish. I have been in contact with your taxidermist Russ and offered to guide him through doing your fish. Matter of fact now that I know it's Russ two weeks ago we talked about him comeing down and me guiding him thru it. I did recommed he cast the head and fins and it will help the mount last forever. He is a Member of a select group that they we more experienced taxidermist will help. Kind of like the pyramid some of us up the chain will help good people down below to improve their work, plus he was in Somalia the sametime I was so he is part of the brotherhood.

I know he has been busy with some disabled kids in Hunt of a Lifetime last week.

http://www.taxidermy.net/wtc05/wtcseminars.html Here is my class at the 2005 World taxidermy Championships

Thursday Morning WTC Seminars

8:00 -- 11:00 a.m.

Seminar #9 Molding Fish Parts: JOHN CREAGER

This award winning taxidermist from Arkansas will actually mold and reproduce fish parts in this seminar. He will also show how these molds can cut down the time needed for modeling and sculpting in the finishing process. These techniques are for both competition and commercial fish.

I also taught in 2003 a bass pedistal mount siminar.

Anyway I will see if Russ is going to bring the fish down.

Just hold off calling him a bit. I did not realize it was Russ as there are a couple more taxis near cassville.

JOhn

870-453-7702

[jay bird]

Thanks a bunch, I am glad he is looking for advice. That is what I do in my line of work when I come across something that may be over my head so I am glad he is doing that. Thanks for your time and your post. I feel a whole lot better about the fish now.

[wily]

after reading the first post -- i thought you had taken it to Ceselski in purdy...I made that mistake once. i'm glad you didn't.

he had a trout of mine for over a year...finally get it back and it was as if he switched fish on me.

bad deal -- been almost 15 years and i'm still mad about it.

[jay bird]

I know you catch a great fish and would like something that captures the feeling when you first pulled that fish out of the water. I think that Russ does a good job on fish, but this is a big fish so was a little worried. I am no longer worried and will post pictures of the results when it is done. Jason

[taxidermist]

Russ will be down next week to work on the fish. He really is good guy with a big heart, I dont think I could deal with hualing the handicapped kids across states to hunt. These kids are terminally ill and that takes extra time, all I can do to take care of myself let alone the kids with problems.

I will try to remember to take the camera and show you how the work goes, once mounted and parts molded and made he will take it home to dry and assmble and he will do all the painting there. I am going to try to get him to change gloss coats, the one I use is an automotive gloss and has UVA/UVB filters so the colors never fade.

Later.

John

[jay bird]

Thanks alot, I know Russ is a good guy, but was worried that he had never done a Striper before. Like I said before I am no longer worried and can not wait to post a picture of the great results. Thanks so much for your help, it is really weird how small the fishing world really is. Thanks again Jason