Skinning and Skin Mounts 101 



couple of screws. Drill holes in the plaque which will allow 

 the screws to be dropped in freely up to their heads. Drill holes 

 of a smaller diameter into the wood in the fish, which will ac- 

 commodate the screws. If holes are not drilled, the wood may 

 crack; or fins may be damaged due to the craftsman's struggle 

 with the screw driver. Of course, the plaque should be stained 

 and varnished before attaching the mounted fish to it. During 

 the entire process the fins and tail should be kept moist so that 

 they will not dry and crack. 



Casting compound can be substituted for plaster in the same 

 method (a one-sided mold). Using compound has an advan- 

 tage because it can be mixed to a putty-like consistency and 

 may be either troweled into the fish or worked with the fingers. 

 Also, there is no urgency to work fast because compound mixed 

 with plaster and water requires much more time to set. 



Fill the head and line the body with about a /2-inch layer of 

 compound. Insert the waterproofed wood block. I would 

 recommend a piece of wood that is the shape of the body of the 

 fish only smaller. The head end of the wood should be cut 

 down so that plenty of room remains for compound. Place 

 enough of the compound around the sides of the wood to fill out 

 the skin to its former shape. Tack the skin to the block of wood 

 after the compound has hardened. Care for the fins and finish 

 the fish as described previously. 



Whether using plaster or compound it is advantageous, al- 

 though not necessary, to preserve the fish in Formalin (nine 

 parts water, one part Formalin ) for four or five hours so that the 

 skin becomes rigid before molding the fish. For this purpose 

 the fish need not be injected wih Formalin. 



Skin Mounts— Full Mold 



For the most lifelike results in skin mounts, I recommend the 

 following method. Preserve the fish in Formalin (see Chapter 

 1 ), taking care that it is properlv posed. A fish the size of a 16- 

 inch trout or bass will require a few hours or an overnight 

 immersion to harden the skin into shape. When ready for 



