io How To Make Fish Mounts 



against breakage. I have packed Formalin for shipment to such 

 distant places as India and Africa, and not a drop was spilled in 

 transit although freight aboard a ship receives rough handling. 



The correct solution for field preservation of fishes is nine 

 parts water to one part Formalin. A receptacle large enough to 

 accommodate the specimen is required. A babv's bathtub or a 

 washtub is ideal. However, a piece of plastic cloth or any rub- 

 berized material supported on the sides with earth and stones 

 can be formed into a suitable container. Another method is to 

 dig a shallow rectangular pit in the ground and place the water- 

 proof material within it; it is ready to receive the Formalin and 

 the fish. 



Before the fish is placed in the Formalin, the dorsal and anal 

 fins should be held in lifelike positions by pins inserted at their 

 bases. If the intended mount is to have an open mouth, it should 

 now be pried open and a piece of wire or a twig placed in posi- 

 tion so that the jaws will have the desired space between them. 

 Once a fish has remained in Formalin for just a few hours, it is 

 impossible to change the position of anv part of the fish without 

 damage. Within a day or two the fish is rigid and feels like hard 

 rubber. Once it is preserved in position, it can be stored in 

 Formalin in anv convenient receptacle until it is time to trans- 

 port it home. 



A freshly caught fish should have good bellv contours. If the 

 belly is sunken, however, use a hypodermic svringe to inject 

 full-strength (not diluted with water) Formalin into the fish's 

 body cavity until the former roundness of the bellv is recovered. 

 If a syringe is not available, slit the abdomen along the side of 

 the fish, opposite the show side, and fill the abdominal cavity 

 with wet paper, cloth, moss, or anv other appropriate material. 

 The slit side of the fish should be placed down in the Formalin. 



In the next dav or so the specimen should be checked and two 

 narrow strips of skin and flesh should be removed ( lengthwise ) 

 from the side of the fish opposite the show side. This will facili- 

 tate penetration of the Formalin into all parts of the fish before 

 bacterial action takes place. A big trout or bass placed in a 10 

 per cent solution of Formalin (nine parts water to one part 



