Just got two Large mouth bass back from taxidermist. He is new and did a great job, except for the mouths. He used paper mache to fill the throat, and that is it. What can I use to fill and paint them? Also- no artificial gills were used, they were closed shut.
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Can I get his number
Hey Guy,
I would take the fish back to the man who mounted them and demand a refund.
Let me guess...you got a great price from this new guy.
If you want to give him the benefit of the doubt, take them back and ask him what he can do to fix them.
But you got what you paid for. Not to come off wrong here but have you checked his work out first? Did you ask him on what he does to his fish or how it will be done? Did you sign a contract that states that he will repair all shrunken areas? Did you tell him you wanted a open mouth? These are simple and basic questions that should be asked by the client. A reputable taxidermist will explain to a client or should ask on how he wants a mount done and show how it will look when completed.
I could go on and on here on what I feel is proper procedure on finishing a fish but this just some of my opinions. Every taxidermist has their own way of doing things though it may not be right to you others like it done that way. If you would like to have to mouth interior done you may have to pay extra to have this completed. Like always check first before you buy!
Hey....one of the cheapest ways to hide that "deal of a mouth" you got is to call Larry at Hide and Beak, order up one of his freeze dried crawfish, stick in the mouth and you're done.Of course if in fact he were eating or sucking in a crawfish the gills would more than likely be flared but details are seldom a newcomers forte', Best of luck to you
I assume that he cut the entire throat and mouth interior away when he
removed the gills. then roughly filled it with mache.
if you are just looking for a way to give the mouth a smoother, finished appearance, then you can mix up some plaster fairly stiff, then spoon it in and smooth it with water and a modeling tool or by hand. after it sets, you can brush paint it with acrylic hobby paints and sealer
(those little craft bottles)
if you want a slightly more realistic look, you can call warren's taxidermy and order a bass tongue for your fish. test fit it first, then do the plaster as suggested above, then press the tongue in place before the plaster sets, and proceed with painting.
If you go back to your taxidermist with these suggestions, he might be willing to do this for you. (there's a good chance, especially if he's new, that he simply didn't know how to make a smooth repair.)
Give him a chance to make it right, if he isn't willing, then you can do it yourself if you follow my directions.
good Luck
Dave
Thanks Dave. That should help. I contacted the guy who did the fish, and he did not know how to finish the mouths. But for the price, I couldn't go wrong, and I don't mind learning a little myself. Once again, thanks to all that responded.