So you want to get that big bass mounted. What’ll it be—a traditional skin mount, a fiberglass replica mount, a habitat mount, or perhaps something more artistic? There are more choices available today than ever before, as I discovered when I attended the 33rd annual convention, competition and trade show of the National Taxidermists Association (NTA), held July 7-10, 2004, in Huntsville, Alabama.
Dan Rinehart of Edgerton, Wisconsin (866/296-2782, LearnTaxidermy.com), is a second-generation taxidermist, runs a taxidermy school, and supplies products to the trade. “Taxidermy is an attempt to preserve the beauty of nature, and serious anglers appreciate a good fish mount,” he says.
Taxidermy is about equally split between skin mounts and fiberglass reproduction mounts, according to Rinehart. “Saltwater fish mounts have gone fiberglass in a big way, but freshwater taxidermy has been slower to switch. With bass and walleye, for example, the skin mount business is still strong because many anglers think skin mounts look better.” Replica mounts are still more expensive than a skin mount, up to 33 percent more. But pricing is expected to level off as the trend toward replicas strengthens.
What are today’s anglers looking for in a fish mount? “More realism in the painting, eyes, and form, and they don’t mind paying more to get that,” Rinehart says. Some anglers also are demanding a more artistic display of their catch, something more aesthetically pleasing than a fish on a board. Habitat mounts, where the fish is shown in an accurate portrayal of an aquatic environment, have become popular. I believe most avid anglers will eventually go to this level in their mounts.”
Besides doing taxidermy work, Rinehart runs a company that manufactures foam mannequins (forms) and other components for skin mounts. His latest development is a selection of amazingly realistic eyes for freshwater fish. “I scuba dive, and I always noticed that existing artificial eyes didn’t capture the realistic coloration of a live fish. I spent three years developing a series of more accurate artificial eyes I call Aqua Eyes.
“They’re the first fish eyes to utilize photographic re-imaging technology, which fuses a high-definition 3-D photograph of an actual eye from a living fish into a clear lens. This achieves the exact pattern and coloration of a live fish eye as seen above water. It really makes a fish mount come alive.”
Rinehart operates a taxidermy school at his Edgerton headquarters. “There’s currently more demand for taxidermy work than there are taxidermists,” he says. “It’s an excellent career opportunity—most quality taxidermists have a backlog of at least a year. Taxidermy is one of the last true cottage industries—you can set up shop in your garage or basement and do it part-time or full-time. A skilled taxidermist will develop a clientele that keeps coming back for years, providing many referrals.” Rinehart’s six-week training sessions are held four times a year at a cost of $3,100.
