Taxidermy Fish Supplies
- Fish taxidermists typically use one of two systems: skin mounting or cast mounting.Largemouth bass image by patrimonio designs from Fotolia.com
Whether it is a giant saltwater sailfish, or a smaller---but equally impressive---freshwater bass, taxidermy can be a great option for preserving your prized catch. Fish taxidermists use a number of supplies in order to produce fish that have life-like appearances without the life-like odors. If you are thinking of performing taxidermy yourself, make sure you stock up on all of the necessary items. - If you plan on skin mounting your fish, you will need a variety of different hand tools. As professional taxidermist Phil Legget notes, skin mounting requires that you remove the skin from the fish, treat it with chemicals and then apply it over the top of an artificial body. To remove the skin, you can use a combination of scalpels, scissors and knives. In addition, there are specialized tools available, such as fish fleshers and fish-skinning knives.
- As mentioned above, skin mounting requires that you coat the fish's skin in chemicals. These include sealers, for trapping out moisture, and glosses, for providing the skin with a shiny finish.
Alternatively, if you decide to cast mount your fish, you will need a whole other set of chemical supplies. Cast mounting requires that you make a mold of your fish, and does not utilize any of its natural parts. According to Phil Legget, taxidermists use silicon and plaster to make the molds, and then fill them with curing substances, such as fiberglass or epoxy resin. - Taxidermists typically remove and discard the original eyes of the fish, as they are watery and difficult to preserve. Instead, they utilize glass replicas. Attaching the right glass eyes to your taxidermy fish is one of the best ways to make it come to life. Manufacturers of replica glass eyes produce them to match a number of different types of fish, such as trout, walleye, largemouth bass, crappie and perch. There are also general fish eyes available, which work well with a variety of fish species.
- To adhere eyes or skin to your fish's model body, you will need a high strength, waterproof glue. As taxidermist Dan Rinehart notes, you can also use basic school glue, like Elmer's, to ensure your fish's scales stay attached to its skin.
- While you can mount your completed fish directly to a wall, another option is to mount it on to a display piece first. Fish taxidermists commonly utilize sections of driftwood or freestanding pedestals, the latter of which allows you to keep your piece mobile. Another alternative is put the fish inside of a display case and create a faux environment for it. This requires that you gather stones, shells, plastic plants and other representations of items that you might find in the fish's natural habitat.
