Can I Get A Fish Mount From A Picture? Easy 5 Step Process!

Want to preserve your catch as a trophy without harming it? Then you could be wondering “Can I get a fish mount from a picture?” Don’t worry though, because, with the latest technological advancements, you can prepare a fish mount just from a picture of the fish.

Inform your taxidermist about the size of your fish and weight along with the pictures. Based on the provided details, your taxidermists will send you the ready fish mount (made from fiberglass material) within 2-3 months.

Keep reading to learn the ins and outs of traditional fish mount preparation, the complete process of getting your fish mounts ready from the pictures, and other insider knowledge.

How Fish Mounts Are Traditionally Made?

You may have seen those hanging in trophy rooms, homes, or offices. Do you know how they are made?

Well, it’s using the art of Taxidermy.

Let’s dig a little deeper.

So the term Taxidermy originates from two terms “taxis” which means arrangement, and “derma” – which means skin.

In essence, it is a scientific technique practiced by professional taxidermists. Using this technique, statues and mounts can be made for almost all types of elements.

But to be specific, in terms of fishing, here’s how it works:

• First off, taxidermists carefully remove the fish’s skin.
• Then, they clean it, dry it, and remove all the body parts from the skin.
• After that, they soak the fish skin in a particular chemical solution (for example, Borax solution).
• They leave it in the solution for a couple of weeks or months. This is quite crucial because this treatment is what allows the skin to remain decay-free for a long time.
• In fact, one of the reasons why real fish skin mounts take time is because of this treatment process used to preserve the fish skin.
• After all these steps are done, the skin is then mounted on a pre-made mold.
• Finally, the whole fish point is painted to match the original caught fish (and that’s why it’s important to take pictures of your fish). And then, after all the detailing, you get your fish mount.

Speaking of fish mounts, I highly recommend checking out this post about where to get a fish mounted. Check it out to get a detailed overview of the fish mounting process. Plus, also learn about the best taxidermists and other related tips.

Can I Get A Fish Mount From A Picture?

In general, you can get a fish mount from a picture only, without the need for any body parts of the fish. However, if you specifically want a fish skin mount, then you will have to bring the fish to your Taxidermist.

So let’s say you caught the fish today, and you plan to make the mount out of it.

Then here’s the thing:

You need to know how to preserve it well so that the fish doesn’t spoil in the meantime. Don’t worry, the process is quite simple.

You wrap the fish in a wet towel (to prevent freezer burns) and then just put it inside the freezer.

Usually, it should last in the freezer for a couple of months – enough time to decide whether or not to have a fish mount, by the way!

Pro-Tip: The color of the fish will fade with time. So the moment you catch your fish, be sure to take its pictures from all sides. This is important! Based on your picture reference, your taxidermist can apply paints and touch-ups to the mount accordingly.

If you don’t want the real fish skin mount, even better.

You can simply send in the pictures, weight, and dimensions of your catch. The professionals at the taxidermy shops will prepare a replica fish mount (made from fiberglass material) based on those details.

The best part? The replica fish mount will look just as real as your catch. In fact, these days most of the fish mounts you see are made from fiberglass material only.

To know more about the material used in fish mounts, I highly recommend reading this complete guide on what replica fish are made of.

The 5 Step Process Of Getting A Fish Mount From A Picture

The process of getting a fish mount trophy from a picture goes like this:

1. Take 2-3 high-quality pictures of your fish from both front and back.
2. Next, use a measuring tape to measure the dimensions of the catch.
3. Measure the fish length from mouth to tail tip. If possible, also measure its diameter by using the measuring tape.
4. Next, use a weighing scale to measure the weight of the fish.
5. Once all of these are done, you let the fish swim back to its home again. And don’t worry, all this process should be completed in a few minutes. (Food for thought: Fish can live out of water for at least 5-10 minutes).

The Advantages Of Fish Mounts From Pictures

• No fish are harmed in the process unless you choose the fish skin mounts.
• You get accurate fish colors in the mounts thanks to pictures that provide the right reference to your taxidermists while preparing the fish mounts for you.
• As long as you don’t order fish skin mounts, you don’t need to think about the deterioration of the fish mounts. To learn more, see this guide about the longevity of fish skin mounts.
• It gives you the flexibility of preparing the trophy of your choice, even if it’s a long-time catch. You just need to have those well-detailed pictures with you!
• If you have taken the shots with a high-resolution camera, pictures will have more detailed highlights of the fish. This will allow the taxidermists to make a more well-detailed mount customized to your needs.
• Getting fish mounts from pictures also allows you to prepare the fish mount of almost any fish of choice, even if you’re not an angler.
• Finally, preparing fish mounts just from pictures can be relatively less time and low resource-intensive tasks for taxidermists. This cost saving is passed on to you as a customer.

If you’re specifically looking for affordable fish mounts, I highly recommend checking out our guide on cheap fish replicas.

The Downside Fish Mounts From Picture

• Your fish mount quality will depend on the quality of the picture you take.
• The expertise level of the taxidermy will also determine the type of fish mount you get.
• Even if you choose the replica fish mounts made from pictures, it will still take some time to get the final product to your hand.

If you’re looking for a better solution to traditional fish mounts, we highly recommend checking out the metal replica mounts.

Introducing Metal Fish Mounts

We, at Reelistic Replicas, are all about creating life-like fish replicas.

On our Etsy store, you will find a huge collection of metal fish replica mounts in all price segments.

So depending on your budget and needs, you can find the right fish mounts to proudly decorate your wall and showcase your love for fishing.

And let me tell you something:

• These metal replica mounts are made from laser-cut metals – so forget about spoilage over time.
• They are highly durable because they are made from metal.
• Special design and metal cutting techniques are used which allows the replicas to look stunningly realistic.

Conclusion

In short, it is not compulsory to have the fish get a mount from it. You need the fish only if you’re preparing the real skin mounts.

Most of the time, you just need to send the pictures and dimension details to your taxidermist. They will prepare realistic-looking fish mounts out of fiberglass material.

And if you’re looking for a realistic-looking fish mount just for decoration purposes, it’s best to go with a durable metal fish mount. You don’t have to worry about pictures and all. Just choose the piece of your choice, and get it delivered to you!

FAQs

What Type Of Photograph Is Needed For Fish Mounts?

Take photographs of your fish from all sides including top, bottom, front, and back, along with open and closed mouth condition. For better fish mounts, you need to capture every possible detail of your catch.

Can Any Fish Species Be Made Into A Mount?

You can make fish replica mounts for any fish specified. However, if you are looking for real fish skin mounts, remember that they don’t work well for every fish species. For instance, it is hard to make fish mounts for marine fish because of their oily skin.

How Long Does It Take To Make A Mount?

The process of getting your fish mounted takes at least 1 month to complete. However, generally, it can take 3-8 months to get your mounts because taxidermists have a very tight schedule and the whole process can be time-consuming.