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Fish Mounting Tips by Matt Thompson


After the fish skin is prepared and ready for mounting, place a small amount of mache in both cheeks and the top of the head of skin for a smooth junction between head and form.


Towel dry the inside of the skin and squirt latex caulking over the inside portion of the skin.


Spread the caulking over the entire inside area by using a 2" paintbrush.


Next, using a B8 Bostitch stapler, or equivalent, staple the throat skin to the first gill as shown in the photo.


Lay the skin on a mounting cradle and slide the form into the skin.


The tip of the form should go all the way up between the eyes of the skin and lock in.


Fit the tail of the skin on the form and adjust to the proper location and staple in place with a tacker.


Then adjust the skin of the soft dorsal and anal fins on the form, pull the skin together and staple.


Pull collar bone together, adjust and staple.


Continue pulling the skin together, adjusting and stapling until complete.


You may also use T-pins in the head and fin areas to hold until the fish is dry.


At this point card fins and gills, then allow to dry.


You can eliminate most odors and cut drying time to a couple of days by placing a fan in front of the fish and blowing in to the mouth.


Note: Some taxidermists try to enlarge the size of the fish in order to give the customer a larger fish.
Naturally the customer wants it as large as possible, however, by attempting to enlarge the fish you increase your mounting time and if the form is too large nothing will fit properly. This will make your job harder, create more finish work and it usually causes serious symmetry problems.



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