Any thoughts on REAL vs REPLICA

[pigeonflier]

ANy opinions here? Sure aint a right or wrong answer here,, I am just looking for OPINIONS... Maybe some of our taxi guys can give their opinion also? I am looking to get a smallie done this year,, and havent decided on REAL vs REPLICA?

[Ahawkeye]

Well, I'm not one to get a fish done just because I love to catch them and let them go (except for crapie and bluegill) so I'd say If you were wanting one go for the replica and let the fish get even bigger. I will always love hunting but the chance to match whits with an animal, win and still let it go and get bigger is an awsome feeling to me. The whole catch and release idea for fishing is great. In short I vote replica but hey it's your fish do what you want are the costs the same?

[pigeonflier]

Apr 22, 2008 5:24:40 GMT -5 Ahawkeye said:

Well, I'm not one to get a fish done just because I love to catch them and let them go (except for crapie and bluegill) so I'd say If you were wanting one go for the replica and let the fish get even bigger. I will always love hunting but the chance to match whits with an animal, win and still let it go and get bigger is an awsome feeling to me. The whole catch and release idea for fishing is great. In short I vote replica but hey it's your fish do what you want are the costs the same?

Thanks for the input,, I have wieghed out the options on that end of REAL vs REPLICA... I too am a catch and release kinda guy.. I was speaking more of what will look and last better?

[Woody Williams]

hoosiertaxidermist on herw had some real nice looking replicas.

If they look good I'm sure they would outlast the "stuffed" versions.

www.hoosiertaxidermist.com/

[bsutravis]

Here's my take on real vs. replicas.......

I've got a bass on my wall in my game room, it's not huge...4.5-5 lbs... but I caught it with my Grandpa when I was a teen on one of those memorable trips with him on the water that I will always remember. When I look at THAT fish, I remember all the details of the fight, what he was saying as I reeled it in, etc.. I just don't think I would get the same emotion if I were looking at a replica of it. I know that THAT is the fish.....not a fiberglass cast of the fish.

I also know that some fish make for bad mounts if mounted real....such as saltwater... so I would probably go the replica way for something like that. But for a bass, or a huge crappie....I'm going the real-route.

I know it's not P.C. to do something against the Catch and Release sentiment, but I'm not exactly a P.C. kinda guy. I see nothing wrong with a guy keeping an occassional trophy for the wall versus turning it loose. Some guys get more of a warm and fuzzy feeling turning it loose to fight another day, and that's great too. I just wouldn't feel right bragging about a fish that is on my wall that is fake.

We could just as easily turn this into a real versus silicon debate..... but perhaps that would be better over in the waterfowl section since things are pretty quiet there these days.

[hoosiertaxidermist]

I have been doing taxidermy since 1995 and have seen both sides of the replica vs. skin mnt debate. We went to strictly reproduction fish about 1 1/2 yrs. ago. After trying to achieve the realism we desired with skin mnts and constantly being dissatisfied with the results, I began experimenting with various hybrid mnts such as a skin mnt. with reproduction head to combat shrinkage and distortion that occurs with the real skull and skin, sometimes even using reproduction fins for the same reasons. Why not use a reproduction skin also. We mold any fish brought into our shop and do no skin mnts. Time involved in custom carving a body to fit each individual skin to achieve a natural look, not someones idea of what fishermen want(over extended mouth opening with a very unnatural body position-most fish don't swim with their back bent like a ), casting a head and fin set for each fish, then blending all the pieces together takes way longer than making a mold and custom cast of the fish when it comes in. When a fish is skin mntd there are many areas that shrink-a lot. Head(inside and out),throat, fins and fin unions to the body, even the scales suffer some shrinkage and distortion. Don't have any of this on a repro.It gives us total control. A repro has a perfectly smooth, white surface to paint and finish, whereas a skin dries dark and must be lightened properly or completely whited out to achieve the correct tone for lifelike finishing. To be brutal, most-not all-skin mnts are a far cry from realistic when it comes to proper color, this includes mine also. Reproductions don't have anything to influence the final outcome of the color, much like the white canvas an artist uses for painting. Once again, it gives us total control. As to the idea that "It's not my fish", by casting the actual fish you have a truly lifelike recreation of "your fish", not some shrunken up, rebuilt as best as possible, representation of your fish. The stigma of the reproduction being "generic" will be a hard wall to beat down, but as more and more taxis turn to custom casting customer fish in realistic poses, not the fish of the past, and customers see the true quality difference from cast to skin mnts. the tide will turn. It will be a tough climb but it will change. You will always have the cheap taxis that charge almost enough to cover their cost and will gladly give their work away to anyone that wants it, and their will always be someone that wants it. I am always happy to show the difference from one to another and very rarely do I not end up with a new convert to repros. I will post some pics in a new thread in a day or so and try to show the difference.

[bsutravis]

HT.... I couldn't agree more with everything you posted in terms of quality of work, shrinkage, coloration and such. After seeing the smallie you posted, your work speaks for itself. If you hadn't said it was a repro, I never would have dreamed it was! Keep workin' on me and you might just sway me over to the repro side!

[hoosiertaxidermist]

Just keep in mind that most of what I said applies only to custom casts. Most, not all, commercially available blanks are lacking in almost all detail. Even one of the largest of my suppliers sent me a walleye they had tried to repair. It had an area the size if a silver dollar back near the tail section on the show side that had no scale detail and when they tried to redo the scales, they put the scales on backwards. Needless to say, that one was returned. I'll post a few pics this week and hopefully let you see the difference.