Coastline Treasures

The most difficult area of taxidermy is mounting fish.  As fish dry, the scales turn brown leaving little color.  The taxidermist not only has to recreate the anatomy of the fish but to also color all over the fish.  Fish taxidermists are artists with skill in drawing, painting, coloring, and sculpting.  Not all these skills are necessary for other types of taxidermists.

Depending on whether your fish lives in warm water, cold water or salt water will determine how it is mounted.  Warm water fish that have tough skins and large scales are able to be skin mounted; the fish is skinned preserving the skin and mounted over a manikin or the fish’s body filled with material that hardens to form its shape.  Cold water fish have thin, smooth skin with fine scales making mounting more difficult; they are usually mounted over manikins.  Most salt water fish are entirely recreated with synthetic materials; cast in a mold and recreated in coloration to appear like a real fish.  Fiberglass reproductions can last for years.  No matter what method you use to display your catch, your fishing décor will certainly make a statement and be the center of conversation.

As a kid I would go fishing with my dad.  He loved to get up in the early morning hours to catch the first fish of the day.  I wasn’t as eager as he was about getting the first fish or putting a worn on the hook.  We would get all our fishing gear together along with fresh worms and head for the dock.  I have to admit it was beautiful, calm and quite.  All you could hear were the birds singing, the breezes blowing and the lapping sounds of the water against the boat.  The vision of the sun rise and all its magnificent colors were breathtaking.   As we took the early morning ride to our fishing destination we would sit quietly taking in the sights.  While fishing we would visit, laugh, me squirming as I baited the hook, and dad trying to be patient while teaching me.  It didn’t matter, at least to me, if we caught anything or not, it was about spending time with my dad.

These were very precious moments spent together.  I often think of them fondly and find myself wanting a piece of that memory close at hand.  To recreate these memories I have added fishing home décor.  Whether I tuck a figurine on a shelf, hang decorative plates or wall décor, they all bring me sense of joy.   You too can bring back memories by adding home accents.

Do you love to spend your time fishing?  Why not add a touch of fishing decor to your abode.  It will be a great way to start conversations about your favorite subject.  I don’t know a fisherman that doesn’t like to talk about their latest catch.  You can decorate your entire home or just a room.  First, you may want to consult other family members to see if their love of fishing matches yours! 

Be sure not to add too many items to a room; if so it could look cluttered and like you were trying too hard.  A few deliberate items will do the trick.  If you have several pictures of fishing trips, frame and mat them identically and display them as a grouping at eye level.  Adding a decorative fishing frame to the room would be a nice compliment.  If you choose to use an area rug with a fishing theme then you will only need a few accent pieces as the rug will carry the theme in the room.  A fishing accent throw pillow, an accent table lamp, a mounted fish, a throw, wall art, or a trophy will continue the theme.  Remember to only add a few of these items to the room.  Judicial placement of your fishing décor will greatly enhance the appearance of your room.

Much to my wife’s never-ending consternation, I’m a fisherman through and through. It’s really the perfect hobby for me as a natural morning person and outdoors enthusiast. I relish the opportunity to roll out of bed before the crack of dawn and saunter my way down to the lake, tackle box in one hand and rod and reel in the other. If I’m lucky, I’ll sneak in an at least an hour of quality angling before it’s time to go to work.

More recently I’ve started a new project – building an addition onto the back of the house. My wife has been clamoring for a screen room for years, and I’m finally going to appease her. Of course, there’s one catch: I’ll be decking out the entire room with fishing home decor. The decorations will run the gamut from mock wooden lures to witty wall art. I would fill my wife in on those minor details, but I think I’ll go fishing first.

The rainbow trout, oncorhynchus mykiss, is a member of the salmon family.  These gorgeous fish have coloring and patterns that vary widely depending on their habitat and age.  Generally they are blue-green or yellow-green in color with a pink to crimson water colored streak along their sides, with a white underbelly, and small black spots on their backs and fins.  They prefer cool and clean moderately moving waters; creeks, rivers and streams.  Rainbow trout live on insects, crustaceans, and small fish.  

Rainbow trout are native only to the rivers and lakes west of the Rocky Mountains in North America.  Due to their reputation as a hard fighting game fish and tasty meal, has created their introduction throughout the world.  Bringing home one of these beautiful creatures for fishing décor or a tasty dinner will surely delight any fisherman.

Deep Sea Fishing is a fun and different way to go out fishing.  However, it requires different skill and equipment than regular fishing too, since you are going after a bigger fish.  When deciding when to embark on your deep sea adventure, and of course come home with fishing home décor as a souvenir, its important to take into consideration what kind of fish you are hoping to catch.  For most game fish, the best months are the summer through mid fall.

Its important to know how to hook your bait for deep sea fishing as well, especially because its live bait and a bit more tricky than a worm.  The average length of the fish you will use as bait is between three inches and a foot.  The bigger the fish you are trying to catch, the bigger the bait you will want.  There are five main spots on the bait which to put the hook on.  The first, and most obvious, is the mouth.  The other spots include just in front of the front fin behind the head, the middle of the back, the neck right by the gills, and the underbelly.  Make sure that you are using a very strong hook and that it is secure.  Happy fishing!

When people think of fishing, most think of the traditional angling, or line fishing.  But this is only one of many types for the fishing enthusiast.  Whether you chose to go out and fish, decorate your home with fishing décor, or both, it is important to have an understanding of what you are doing, and know that there are many different types of fishing to choose from.

Line fishing is the most common form of fishing.  Another common type is called trolling.  This is a bait less type of fishing where you run the lure and hook through the water.  To a fish, the lure looks like another fish and will try to eat it, thus catching itself on the hook.  Hand fishing is another fun way to try to catch a fish.  Now you may be thinking, “How am I going to catch a slippery, wet fish with my bare hands?”  Well, hand fishing is most common when catching lobsters or going pearl diving.  If you live in colder regions, or are vacationing, give ice fishing a try.  There are many different types of fishing, its never just one option.

Fishing décor is a great token of the friendly competition that is the sport of fishing.  In my family, fishing, even though it is just for leisure, gets very competitive.  Each summer that we are all up at my grandparent’s house, one of the first things my cousin wants to do is fish.  And to keep him company, I fish with him.  Here though begins days of friendly fishing competition. 

He and I head down to the dock, poles in hand, ready to catch a mess of catfish and bluegills with my grandfather’s homemade bait.  Our competition is to see who can catch a fish first, and then to see who catches the most.  He always wins.  But nonetheless, its always fun.  Fishing is a great way to harbor friendly competition and promote family time.

Indoor koi ponds can add a beautiful and authentic feel when you have fishing home décor.  But when adding an indoor koi pond to your home it is important to consider several factors to keep the fish alive and thriving so that you can enjoy your beautiful pond to the fullest.  Place your pond in an area that will receive optimal sunlight for the fish, and the plants.  Metal halide lamps are also a very good source of light to sustain the life in the pond.  They are required for ponds sixteen inches deep or more.

Unfortunately, koi ponds can be smelly.  So, to avoid foul odors in the home from the pond, make sure to maintain the filtration systems and change the water when necessary.  An aquarium filtration system will work for an indoor pond, but weekly water changes depending on the number of fish are crucial.  An indoor pond will give your home a great new feel.

Growing up, my family and I went on a lot of vacations during the summer.  Many of these involved some sort of fishing expedition.  The one I remember the most is taking a boat out onto the lake in Yellowstone National Park.  We were trout fishing, and I was so excited because I was the first one to catch a fish.  And, I caught the biggest fish.  I was so proud of myself.  My grandparents also live on the water, so I would go down to the dock and fish right there in their backyard.  Its not quite the same as Yellowstone, but it is still always fun when you catch something.

Fishing is one of the sports that always have so many memories attached to it.  When I walk into my grandparent’s house and see the fishing décor I am reminded of all those summer vacations and the mornings out on the dock.  Fishing is more than just a sport or a pass-time, its a great way to build memories with your family.