132 How To Make Fish Mounts 



the gill opening, jaws, fin rays, and so forth can be carved in with 

 appropriate tools. Another way is to cut out just the body and 

 tail of the fish, and then insert the fins which have been sawed 

 from material such as /4-inch plywood. In this case, slits in 

 the wooden body will have to be gouged out— use a drill and 

 then a chisel. Also, leave a base on the fins which can be in- 

 serted into the recesses and held with glue. A glass eye glued 

 in will also give the trophy added sparkle. This type of trophy 

 looks good stained dark if placed on a light colored wall, and 

 a natural finish is best if it is situated on a dark wall. I prefer 

 such a silhouette without a backboard or plaque. Letter the 

 pertinent information directly onto the body of the wooden 

 fish, black lettering on a natural wood fish or white lettering 

 on a fish stained dark. A thin coat of shellac (thinned 50-50 

 with alcohol ) should be applied over the stain before painting 

 on the lettering. Complete the trophy with a coat of flat-finish 

 varnish. 



