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.