What is a half mount fish replica?

First we should ask the question, “What is a full mount fish replica?”

A full mount fish replica is the complete reproduction of a real fish to look like the original.   Many types of material can be used to create this reproduction.   These can include wood, foam, metal, plastic, etc.  We use fiberglass. The procedure for creating a fish replica requires making a mold of the front and back of the fish.   This mold reproduces the size and shape of the fish and captures the details and texture of the skin, scales and fins from the original.   A great deal of skill is required to get the fish looking lifelike. We gel coat these molds and hand laminate several layers of fiberglass to create a remarkable likeness to the original.   We reproduce the fins the same way.   We bond the front side with the backside and grind the seam, fill the voids, sand the seam, attach the fins, sand some more and set the mouth and teeth.   We then apply paint with all of the subtle coloration, shading, highlights and iridescence of the real thing.   We apply a protective polyurethane clear coat to the finished fish.   An incredible likeness to the original fish emerges.   It is eerie, at times, how lifelike our replicas look.

A hanger is attached onto the backside of the mount.  Since the fish is designed to hang on the wall we paint the back of the mount to blend into the shadows.  Some fish get two eyes, others just need one as it blends into the background.    We can make many replicas from one mold. We have thousands of molds of hundreds of fish in dozens of sizes in a dizzying array of poses.   Keep your fish (or release him) and tell us what kind, size, shape, color and style you want.   Send us a photo, or not.    Leave the rest to us.

We can also make three dimensional fish that are completely finished on all sides.  Since these mounts are viewable on all sides and are designed to hang from the ceiling or sit upright on a table we finish the complete fish.  This takes a considerable amount of time to "get it right".   These mounts are priced accordingly.

Now for the answer to the original question:

A half mount is a replica of only one side of the fish, the side that you see.   The back or rear side is not seen and therefore not reproduced.   Everything else is the same: the size, shape, the detail, the fins, paint and clear coat.   We even mold an integral hanger into the back of the replica to make it easy to display.   You can literally hang the fish on the wall like a picture!

Not all body positions make good half mount candidates.   The body of the fish has to be flat.   This enables the front half of the mold to lie close to the wall.   There is less material used (lighter) and less labor involved (less expensive).   This saves us time and money and this savings is passed to the customer.  

These replicas add a whole new dimension to the world of taxidermy.   They don’t replace full mount taxidermy. They add to it.  Our half mount designs have been developed to provide a less costly solution to high quality taxidermy products that share the same incredible attention to detail that our full mount replicas have.   We use the same molds!   They are a good choice for the cost conscious consumer who wants a quality product for a reasonable price.