In taxidermy competition, fish size isn’t important. One of the most striking pieces was the eatin’-sized walleye by John Lager of Littleton, Colorado (303/979-2647). Lager, a past North American champion, is renowned for his walleye mounts and won first place in the NTA’s division of excellence. “Most anglers want to mount a big fish, but you can create a pleasing display that captures your appreciation of the species with a small fish,” he notes.
“If you love walleyes, you could display a piece like this in your den and everyone would find it aesthetically pleasing.” The design and composition is simple, flowing. It incorporates a piece of cherrywood and a slab of granite on a Formica base. Lager spent about 200 hours on it, painting every scale three or four colors to capture the subtleties of a live walleye. Lager sees a trend toward 3-D mounts (fish finished all around, not just on one side) in his business.
Another award-winning piece that caught my eye was a leaping salmon crafted by Mike Ross of Elizabeth, Colorado (303/841-2310). It captured first place in the division of excellence, a category composed solely of past award-winners. Another Ross creation, a spectacular pair of brown trout in full spawning colors fighting over a crawfish, was so realistic you could almost feel the rush of current. “High-level taxidermy competition is leaning toward artistic impression,” he explains. “On the commercial level, as well, my clientele favors more aesthetically pleasing displays than in the past.”
Jeff Mourning, Littleton, Colorado, was a judge in the fish division. What does he look for in an award-winning piece of taxidermy? “The first consideration is whether it’s aesthetically pleasing,” he reports. “Then it’s craftsmanship—how it was built, the quality of epoxy work, body casting and assembly. Then I consider anatomy—muscle structure, shape, and movement of the fins.
“Then we consider the painting, 70 percent of which is usually airbrushing. We don’t deduct for color because fish vary; rather, we pay attention to how the paint is applied. Is the pattern done correctly? Mike Ross’ brown trout, for example, is extraordinarily clean, with master-quality painting. The detailing is superb.”
Art appreciation has yet to filter down to the weekend angler looking to have a lunker mounted, Mourning admits. “Joe Lunchbucket doesn’t care much about the aesthetics of the piece and definitely won’t pay for it. Mike Ross and I once collaborated on a chum salmon that was judged best in the world. We put over a thousand hours in it. The public doesn’t yet view us as wildlife artists, but hopefully this will change.”
* Don Wirth, Nashville, Tennessee, is a veteran outdoor writer and photographer who has contributed to In-Fisherman publications for over two decades.
