Fish questions anybody

[Auggie]

As the ice fishing season is rolling I am sure some of you are catching some fish you would like to put on the wall. If you have any questions on proper care for your trophy fish before you can get them to your favorite taxidermist (me) J/K , let me here them. I, along with any other taxidermist love to see a specimen arrive in good condition as it makes our job a little easier and your mount better.

[Spinach]

I have a 18" Crappie that i had mounted about 8 years ago. It is absolutely the worst mount i have ever seen. I am considering having it redone (if possible) or at least touched up and repaired.

Is this possible?

[Auggie]

If the shape is the problem you are stuck with it. If it is the paint job you are unhappy with that can be taken care of. Repaints tend to be a touchy subject with some of us. I hate to repaint a fish that is completely wrong in anatomy as this will make my work look sub par when people see it on your wall. They will ask who did your fish and I may end up getting credit for a poor mount with a Cadillac paint job . What I am saying is I do not like to put my name on someone else's poor work. Many taxidermists will agree with me on this. If it is fin damage or a very old sentimental mount( maybe your grandpa's bass from 1955)you are trying to save that is a whole different ball game. Most of us do not like to do repaints either so you will pay top dollar for anyone that is skilled to do it. Another route I tend to send people is replicas. They are perfect for this situation and should be considered. The high end blanks that are now available are very hard to tell from the real deal to the untrained eye. They cost a bit more but they last FOREVER! Hope that answers your question. Pat, if you want to talk about your options more give me a call and I can see what we can do.

[Wagz]

A little off topic but I have a very old mount of a bird. the feathers are starting to stick together what can be done to correct this.
A little more explanation is that the vein is fine it is just the little one that come from there are starting to stick together

[Auggie]

Not exactly sure what you are talking about?  :mysterymachine:I guess I would need to take a look at it. Can you post pictures of what you are seeing up close?

[LLtaxidermy]

I've never done it but from what I understand and this is coming from a very good source is that a bird can be rehydrated and remounted after several years. Would I reccomend it, not sure. There is a risk of it losing feathers and the skin tearing badly. A lot of guys deal with this while mountong fresh birds. I think it's all in how much you trust your taxidermist and what kind of a risk your willing to take. If someone wanted it done i'd definetely try but i'd have to make it very clear to the customer the risk involved. As far as the fish I agree with Auggie 100%. I'd hate to put my name on something less than par but I also hate turning people away. A paint job is pretty simple but what does the rest look like? You can dress up a turd pretty good and it's still a turd! If it's something sentimental or someone who is a good customer yeah I would do it for sure. If it was just for showing off and was a bad mount altogether I would have to weigh the pros and cons. My mind set "and this is what i've been taught and it seems to hold true" is that for every good mount two people will hear about it. For every bad mount ten will hear about it. Ok i'm done rambling but I hope it helps.

[LLtaxidermy]

As far as field care, bring some old towels and a box of 20 mule team borax fishing with you. when you get a fish you want mounted cover it with borax and wrap in a damp towel, put it in a plastic bag and freeze. This will keep your fish in great condition until it gets to your favorite taxidermist "Auggie"!!! Borax can usually be bought at any wal mart in the cleaning isle.

[Auggie]

Another method for those of you that have the vac sealers. Rinse as much of the slime off them as you can and seal them up in a bag with your food saver. Make sure they are flat with all the fins against the body. Freeze them up. And bring them to your taxidermist. The wet towels also work great.
Oh guys, I forgot to mention, if you share the foodsaver with your wife, wait until she is not around. .
As for the bird I would never recommend re-hydrating an old bird because you do not know how it was preserved to begin with. I am not saying it couldn't be done mind you. Not to mention the time/cost involved. I wouldn't even want to guess what kind of time you would have into it. Most likely you would end up with nothing and still have a bill to take care of.

[Lee Borgersen]

I usually use a feather duster to keep my fish mounts as dust free as I can. The problem is that I don't dust as often as I should (Just ask the wife! :drillsargeant:). So, what other type cleaning solutions do you recommend? Some type of spray polish/cleaner? I was also thinking about a small air compressor to air blast them, but I don't have one.  

[Wagz]

Not exactly sure what you are talking about?  :mysterymachine:I guess I would need to take a look at it. Can you post pictures of what you are seeing up close?

OK this is not from the mount but it explains a little better what I am talking about

this is how they looked to begin with


This is what they are stating to do



It is not from moisture or or anything just age .. it is a very old mount

Do that make more sense ? 

[LLtaxidermy]

Keyboard air duster!!

[Auggie]

 Smallmouthguide,
Lee's idea works well. If you know what your taxidermists uses for a clear coat it helps. I use an automotive clear coat on mine. You can use anything that is safe to use on your auto to clean my fish as long as you do not over do it with any moisture. My replicas on the other hand, can be run under water in the tub to clean if need be.
Check with your taxidermist to see what they use. If in doubt use the air as Lee suggested and/or they sell a static duster that is like a feather duster except instead of moving the dust around it kind of sticks to the duster.

[LLtaxidermy]

Auggie, can feathers like he showed be steamed? I've never done it but i've heard of guys steaming feathers for various reasons. Just wondering if you have ever done it and if it works.

[Lee Borgersen]

Thanks for your input guys.

[Auggie]

LL, I have never steamed feathers but have also heard of it being done. I have used a curling iron before to get desired effects with feathers however. I asked him to give me a call as I have multiple other questions for him about this mount. Environment, exact age, pose? I would assume this is a flying mount and the wing primary feathers are the area he is talking about? Just need more information before I would be comfortable with any recommendations.

[LLtaxidermy]

Let me know what you find out and if you have any more questions about it i'll call Danny Owens. He should be able to help!! I'm curious now!