custom carved Northern Pike

Looks difficult to carve and mount but never seen one swimming like that. Is this to be mounted with casted hands holding it? Also I would position the trailing edges of the anal and dorsal fing more parallel with the body. From what I can see of the pic it looks really proportionate, and the head looks real good!!

 

Nice paint job too!

 

Personally if your client likes it that's awesome but for me you have a broken back and that is not a natural looking fish in it's environment.

 

In my younger years I used to carve pike bodies like that sometimes. They looked kinda neat but often wondered if a pike could actually do that. I know their bodies can be put into that position, but while they are alive? Anyways, the pike looks good, it looks like you have an anatomy problem behind the head. There is to much body shown that should be hidden by the head.

 

my back hurts
lol

hmmmm

 

Brayden...these fellows on here that are giving you advise are some of the best in the industry and are assisting you when you ask for their advise. I definitely see what they are referring to and yes your customers do appreciate your work and with the assistance of others on here you will definitely achieve a more realistic mount that will attract their friends to your business as well. I have never seen a pike bend the way you have it mounted, however you seem to have carving and mounting down quite well and are leaps and bounds ahead of many. Study anatomy and kinesiology and your mounts will come to life and separate you from the others. You are never trying too hard in this industry sometimes you are not trying hard enough to get out of habits. Just my thoughts.

Regards,
Sam

 

Wouldn't hurt to look at pics and videos of them underwater. Like you said they don't just move in an S or side to side, I have just never seen them arched that much. But I do think a cool idea (I have seen it done before) would be the exact pose you have there with the fish supported by 2 cast hands like it is being held for a picture. You can mount the hands to a panel on the wall. I have also seen a LM bass mounted vertically with the mouth wide open and a hand on a plaque lipping it.

 

I'm aaaaalll about poses that break away from the standard mouth open tail up or down. Good for you for having the talent to carve your own. I do think they should appear natural though. A nice closed mouth fish swimming action looks awesome. One thing I've yet to see too much of are natural fins. On closed mouth repro's I like to chop the spiny dorsal off and make it laying down. Very rare do you see this up and flaring. And each of the other fins I would love to see in a relaxed manner. One of my favorite repro's is a bass that has a straight body and closed mouth like its suspended in the water but all of its fins including the tail are straight and spread wide open which doesn't look natural at all. One day when I learn to mold my own that's what I'd concentrate on. Not bashing molders on here, there are some great repro's being produced.

 

Brayded, what type of foam are you using for your bodies?

 

I dont think they bend like that...maybe with a massive
Hook set haha....looks super cool tho ..good job!

 

I think it looks great........