“PRICE SHOPPING’ For your trophy

The beast is in the boat. After pictures and a celebratory beer or two, she is released unharmed. Your hands are still shaking, and you get plenty of pats on the back for your achievement. It still seems unreal, but you have the proof of your success. Back at your cabin, the fanfare carries on late into the night. At some point, you muse about having this fish turned into a trophy. Either by choice or regulation, no fish are intentionally killed on this lake. You have heard of replicas, but know little about the process. You suspect you will never top this fish, so maybe this is an option. You had best go “shopping” as an educated consumer. Allow me to help you out here.

I am owner/operator of Angler’s Art Fish Taxidermy, going over forty years. What started out as mostly a conventional skin mount practice has turned into a lucrative business that allows me to replicate trophies from all over the country. This generally starts off with a stream of questions. All questions are valid, since this is a specialty that most folks have no knowledge of.Don’t trust your buddy Billy Bob on this. It is also a scenario where wrong advice is an expensive killer. 

Let us start with “how much.” It is expensive. Fish replications are made up one at a time. They are not warehoused plastic trinkets pulled off a shelf. A replication of your trophy will cost the taxidermist upwards of $10 to $13  dollars per inch of length. Ask about features that denote a quality casting to create a close match of your fish. 

Then, the finishing and painting will at least double this. In Wisconsin, expect to pay around $20 per inch of length for the finished trophy, and that is low for a top end replica. I like to pay myself more than the guy who pumps my septic. The artist cannot create a masterpiece of your fish without a perfect canvas to paint on. With auto sales, a Ford F-150 is a Ford F-150. Find the dealer with the lowest price. Not even close to the same situation with replicas. Some are made of poorly detailed “boat hull” fiberglass with thick, clunky, opaque fins. Does not matter much on a Mako shark. It does matter on your trout, panfish, and walleye. Oh boy does it matter.

Does the replica feature thin, translucent fins? Is inner mouth, throat, and gill structure present and convincing? Scales should be crisp and clear. Pose should reflect the reality of a natural swimming motion. Fish that are curved too much up or down can look like bananas or porpoises. 

Insist that you see the casting before going ahead. In many cases, this will not be offered. Be firm on this. You cannot just ask for a six pound bass. Rather, before the fish is released, try to get a length, girth, and weight measure. One good side view of your catch should be photographed, with light in front of fish, not behind it.

Research the reputation and qualifications of your fish replicator. I say this because painting a casting is not technically taxidermy.  Plenty of folks farm out their work to those who specialize in fish. Wholesale and retail. They may make a small profit on each sale for doing nothing. 

Steer clear of “big box” operations. Some of these may advertise on outdoor channels. Cabelooski’s, and Class Pro Shock may do great sailfish and shark mounts, but a generic, horrible job on a sixteen inch brook trout.

Don’t let folks across a certain border talk you into leaving the work in Canada. Used to be almost a monopoly on this with outfitters getting some good perks. Bring your ideas back home.

Consider shipping costs. If you are in the midwest, Spee-dee delivers fast and excellent shipping. Outside of that, it gets outrageous. Eighty-five bucks to ship a thirty seven inch package to New Jersey from Wisconsin UPS. That ate up one fourth of my profit. If you live in Florida, get your ten foot marlin from Florida? Don’t ask me what the shipping will be from Wisconsin unless you are up for a road trip.

I am sure I did not cover the waterfront here, but if you have any questions, just contact me. I will give you an honest answer and maybe talk you into using my services.