Taxidermy

Several years ago I caught a nice brown in the SR and took it to have mounted at a shop down near the mouth of the river.  I know the shop where I took it is capable of doing some excellent work because I saw quite a few mounts when I dropped my fish off and then again when I picket it up.  This was the first and only fish I have ever had mounted so I have to admit that I wasn't really familiar with good & bad work, but the owner of this shop has won a number of awards for their work.  When I picked up my fish, I was asked if it looked okay, and without really looking it over, I said yes.  After I got the fish home and started examining it more closely, I was really disappointed.  The tail and fins were so caked with finish that they do not look lifelike at all.  Some of the fins are also cocked an an odd angle making them look unnatural.  The eye also appears to be poorly set as there is space around it that shouldn't be there.  I accepted the mount, so I did not go back and address the issues with the owner.  I was wondering though, if I was not happy, what recourse would I have had?  Not pay the other half of the money?  Then I am still out the fish and the down payment. 

I realize you do not need the fish to have a mount done, but when I have a mount done, I like to look at it and know that at least a part of what I am looking at was from the actual fish I caught.  I suspect that the owner surmised that I was likely not going to be a repeat customer and gave my mount to an apprentice to do.  Any comments?  This site has been quiet for awhile so I though I'd try to liven it up.

Interesting.  I think I would have probably refused it, and only been out half the $, but then you got zip to show.  Probably best to take it to someone you know locally.  Lots of options today, and repros are getting better all the time.

i would complain . how long has it been since you picked it up?? my father got a steelhead mounted there maybe 25 years ago and it was horrible to say the least...if anything you should complain. the squeeky wheel always gets the grease

Dime:  I think you figured out where I took it--I'd just as soon leave the place anonymous as I don't care to badmouth the place event though my mount wasn't done justice.  I should have looked it over more before I accepted it and left the shop.  That place was recommended to me by a local, but perhaps he knew the owner.  At this point, several years have passed so I am not going to say anything, but I will sure ask more questions if I ever have another fish mounted.  There were some real quality mounts in the shop when I dropped it off an again when I picked it up, but mine sure wasn't one of them.

northeast did my 12 pound brown in 1998 and it was spectacular. one other mount done in 99 which was a 12 pound coho buck done by paul dangelo. although he screwed many over, he didn't screw up my coho. he used fake fins but they looked dynamite. i only know because he told me. the body was not styrofoam, it was a solid hard plastic or something like that. but if northeast is still around, definitely a good choice... salmon river sport shop used to send fish out to them. don't know if they do anymore. hey eagle, i'll delete my thread. sorry...

joe at northeast does a spectacular job born n raised in ct myself torrington to be exact ,,,, i live out of ct now but i still have him do my work when i go back every fall to visit i pick up my fish from northeast taxidermy and WOW this guy is amazing you ought to see his shop huge to say the least he pays attention to every detail on the fish give him a pic and he will nail it dead on but i still would go back to the taxi and tell him what u think taxis are like mechanics some get by and some are truly jus got a raw talent

definitely details kokanee... also, very natural. my brown had 2 little imperfection scars on it's sided which were basically scars. he did not cover them up. the fish look sgreat to say the least. i wish i had given him a picture, but eventhough i didn't, many have looked at the fish and the pic i have of it and say it looks jusy like it anyway...