Fish mounts come in several shapes sizes, colors and materials. There is much more to them than you might at first think. Whether you want to bring home a trophy to remind you of your recent fishing vacation or you simply want an attractive wall decoration that reflects your hobbies, you'll have several options for the perfect fish mounts.



Traditional taxidermy

These are what we normally think of as fish mounts ? or stuffed fish. They've been around for centuries and you can have the very fish you caught preserved for the future this way. These fish mounts are actually the skin of the fish you caught stretched over a plaster or foam frame back into the life-like shape; in fact, so life-like you'd swear the fish was still swimming. These kinds of wall mounts are then usually mounted in wood and glass cases and they may have a background painted in keeping with the fish mount.

To have this service performed on a fish you have caught, you should wrap the whole fish in a wet towel, taking care that the fins are flattened properly to the body of the fish. Freeze the whole fish inside a plastic bag if you are choosing a taxidermist which isn't in your local town or you can't get to them immediately. After all, you want your fish mount to be preserved in peak condition. In this way it can be mailed in an insulated box so it will still be frozen when it arrives with the taxidermist.

Conservation and pure squeamishness mean that taxidermy is not an option everyone wants to pursue. Now, however, there is an alternative way to get great fish mounts.

Fiberglass Replicas

These aren't fish at all, but these fish mounts sure do look real these days. They are realistically painted and stylish; these types of fish mounts are lighter in weight than the traditional taxidermist's art.

You can have your exact fish made into a replica by taking a series of photos of it from all possible directions. A taxidermist or a specialist in fiberglass replica fish mounts will then reproduce this fish in perfect detail ? while the fish lives to swim another day. The background to your fiberglass replica fish mounts can then have a specially designed scene to match the particular conditions in which the fish was caught.

Many people would never be able to tell the difference between a traditional skin fish mount and a fiberglass replica fish mount. It's just as realistic and individual as the fish you caught, but you will have the satisfaction of knowing that the fish didn't need to relinquish its life for you to have a great fish mount as your trophy reminder of a great day of fishing.