How to Order a Fiberglass Fish Replica

When I caught my personal best largemouth bass in 2012, a 12 pound brute from the famed Camelot Bell lake, it was a perfect storm of circumstances to order my first replica. I was staying at the motel at Lake Fork Marina, directly across the street from Lake Fork Taxidermy and I finally had enough disposable income to easily justify the cost of the mount. I waltzed right into the office, sat down with the woman at the front desk for 15 minutes, and less than two months later the replica arrived at my house.

It turned out great, but it could have been a disaster. I acted out of convenience, with no research or due dilligence at all. They could’ve done terrible work, overcharged me, or absconded with my money altogether. Unfortunately, there are a lot of horror stories out there and not only was LFT timely and reasonable, but their work is a solid representation of that early February fish, which was relatively washed out, with few dark markings.

Since that time, Hanna and I have added six more replicas, with another in utero, from two more artists. It’s safe to say that it’s an addiction. As the available wall space in our modest house diminishes, we’re already planning out our next additions. It’s a great way to remember some of our greatest trips and finest catches, and just about everyone who comes into our house (not just anglers) takes notice of them. 

It’s been a learning process for us, and if you’re considering starting or bolstering your own collection, we have some insights that we believe will be helpful. 

Catch the Fish First

Catching the fish might be the easiest part of the whole deal. Figure out the measurement or milestone that will justify getting a replica? Is it a 10-pound largemouth? Thirty inch walleye? Fifty inch musky? Most of our replicas met a certain “trophy” threshold, although the Montana cutthroat trout that I love is not a true trophy — it just reminds me of a trip we took to Triple Creek Ranch for our 10th anniversary.  

Set the threshold carefully. Once you do, it’s probably best not to deviate it unless there’s a compelling reason to do so. For example, if you set a 12-pound bass as the floor for what you’ll get, if you subsequently catch an 11 and recognize that you’re unlikely to ever beat that, go ahead. Having not previously caught a 5 pound smallmouth, I recently decided to get a replica of the 6.40 I caught in northern Michigan. There’s a chance that I’ll beat that in my lifetime, but a significant likelihood that I won’t. The fact that it was a remarkably memorable trip made the decision much easier. If I someday catch a 7, I can live with the fact that this is my “smallmouth representative” (or perhaps I’ll have more wall space and budget and will someday double down). 

Memorialize the Fish 

Once you catch your trophy, you’re going to want the replica to represent your fish as closely as possible. That starts with accurate measurements. Bring a digital scale with you – most taxidermists with experience with a given species will be able to get semi-accurate measurements based on a scale weight and a photo alone. Even better, bring a tape measure to get dimensions. That’ll give you a length and “height.” With a flexible seamstress’s tape, you can also get the fish’s girth. If you don’t have either of those, cut pieces of fishing line to those measurements, and then get accurate numbers when you’re off the water. 

Next, take as many pictures as you reasonably can while still getting the fish back into the water promptly. Handle it carefully and respectfully but make sure you get closeups of the eyes, tail, any distinctive markings. In the old days, this would’ve been a hassle, but just about all of us carry a smartphone these days so there’s no excuse not to get a ton of shots and to immediately check to make sure that they’re representative. This will help the replica maker immensely. 

And yes, I wrote that you should release the fish. From what I’ve seen there’s no reason to produce a skin mount anymore. Not only do you have to kill the fish to do so, but in my opinion the fiberglass versions look better in the short term and especially in the long term. Just keep them out of harsh sunlight, dust ‘em off once in a while, and they should last longer than you. 

Identify the Right Taxidermist 

Unlike my experience with Lake Fork Taxidermy, where I literally stumbled into the shop upon returning to the motel, unless you live near a world-class taxidermist whose work you love, you’re probably going to have to expend some effort to find the right person or people to work on your mount. 

First, don’t shop exclusively on the basis of budget. Yes, your wallet should be a guideline because you might be able to afford and justify a $500 replica that’s 90% as good as a $1500 replica that’s just about perfect. That’s a decision that you’ll have to make, and there’s no guarantee that the more expensive version is always better, but in my experience the best of the best always have a fairly lengthy weight and are never at the bottom of the pay scale. Even at the low end of the scale, this is likely to be a sizeable investment, so I’d rather wait on a good mount, or memorialize it some other way (canvas photo, poster-sized print) than settle for something subpar. 

Second, see if they’ve created a replica or replicas of your species in the past. They may be the best at offshore pelagics, but have no experience with mountain trout. That doesn’t mean that they can’t do the latter, just that you might be taking a crapshoot if you ask them to try. 

If they have produced your species in the past, check out some examples. Most modern taxidermists have websites, Facebook and/or Instagram pages with galleries of their work. Sometimes they’ll even have pictures of the actual fish next to the replica, so you can tell not only if it’s lifelike, but also if it’s accurate. If you’re not sure that you can tell the quality of their work from the examples provided, call or email and ask to see more. If you don’t like what you see, find someone better.  

Check out the details, too. An otherwise great mount can be ruined if they use crappy fins or inappropriate eyes. Do they just do a basic paint job or do they tip each scale? It might matter to you, it might not, but it pays to know. 

Next, make sure that they own or have access to a mold that will represent your fish. If their 10 lb. largemouth is 28 inches long with a certain girth, it might not be a good match for your 25 inch fatty. In some cases they may be able to supplement or alter what comes out of the mold to better suit your needs. Just lay this out ahead of time.  

Also, be sure to check out whether the taxidermist is taking on new clients and what the expected timeline for production might be. There’s nothing worse than choosing one and then realizing that they can’t do it, or that there will be an endless, multi-year backlog for the work. 

Order Properly 

Once you’ve decided who you’re going to use, it’s time to figure out what you want them to produce. Many of the best have a wide range of offerings, everything from basic replicas with no adornments, up to coffee tables, poker tables and bars with inlaid fish. In between those two extremes, there are all sorts of options in terms of habitat, forage and other accoutrements. 

It pays to know approximately where you’ll put it and how much space you’ll have. a replica that fits perfectly on your wall may become overwhelming if you add a substantial amount of rocks or driftwood. On the other hand, having some habitat can spice things up, and also gives you ways to mount additional accents like baitfish or the lure you caught it on. 

We have all wall mounts, and while I’d like a pedestal mount there are several things that have prevented us from getting one. First is the lack of counter or table space. Second is the fact that it would likely have to be double-sided, substantially increasing the cost of the product. Remember, each tweak or addition will likely come with an upcharge, so make sure it’s something that you value. 

Next, consider whether you want the fish to face left or right, open mouthed or closed, and horizontal or in a feeding pose. All or none of these may be possible depending on who is doing the work. 

I recommend doing all of this over the phone or in person, and then outlining your expectations with a subsequent email. That way you express your concerns, your priorities and your expectations and have a record of doing so. 

Finally, ask for an expected timetable. Only one of our numerous replicas has come within the expected time period. I’m willing to wait for the work to be done properly, but after a while it becomes a drag when they miss deadline after deadline after deadline – especially when you paid a deposit (usually 50%) in a previous presidential administration. 

Wait and Inspect 

As noted above, the wait is going to seem interminable. During COVID it got even worse, as supply chain issues rendered some materials hard to find. There’s a fine line between inquiring about an overdue project and being a pest. After waiting 8 or 12 months, or more, you don’t want them to hurry the project and produce subpar work, nor do you want to get into a fight with them and have to start the process all over again. Use your discretion and your manners. 

Hopefully you factored shipping into your budget, because it’s not inexpensive. We know several people who’ve flown to distant states, rented a car or truck, and driven their replica (usually a billfish, tarpon, or some other “oversized” species) home rather than trying to pay for shipping. If you elect to do this, please drive carefully and secure the mount properly, because once you take possession any damage is on you. With shipping, at least it should be properly insured, so should it get damaged in transit you will be compensated appropriately. 

When the box arrives at your home or other delivery site, open it carefully. Every replica we’ve gotten has been in some form of customized protective environment – a wood frame, Styrofoam peanuts, custom-molded foam or some combination thereof – but you don’t want to stick your X-Acto knife through the cardboard and damage your prize after waiting so long. Take your time and extract it properly. 

Once you have it out, lay it on a table or a blanket or some other surface and inspect it while you still have the packing materials. If there’s any damage, or any discrepancy in the final product versus what you expected, now’s the time to deal with the taxidermist, the shipper, or both. 

Place it Right 

During the many months that you’ve been waiting for your replica, you’ve likely had plenty of time to envision where it will reside in your home or office. Your initial intentions may prove to be right, but there’s still time to reconsider. First, make sure it won’t be in direct sunlight, or in a drafty spot, or above any sort of fire-producing mechanism that’ll put it in the direct line of smoke. Most fiberglass mounts are durable and long-lasting, but why expose them to the elements? 

Next, take a look at the replica itself and see if it’s going to be some sort of “attractive nuisance.” For example, do you have pets or is your home frequented by small children? If so, you might want to place the replica out of their reach to ensure that they don’t mess with it or impale themselves on teeth. If it’s at eye level, see how the fins jut out. My payara and musky replicas have sharp fins. If you were to hit them, you could poke an eye out, break the fins off, or both. 

Finally, make sure you take extra care to mount it on the wall properly, with more reinforcements than you think are necessary. Some mounts are surprisingly lightweight but on others the backing adds substantially. Either way, they don’t bounce, and one that falls or gets knocked off is going to be damaged. 

Sit Back and Enjoy 

Our replicas bring us continuous joy and are a talking point for just about everyone who enters our house. If we don’t add any more, we’ll certainly have “caught our limit,” but we’re already planning the design of our retirement home with visions of more in mind.