Any thoughts on REAL vs REPLICA

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?

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/

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.