Preparation

• The preparation for a big fish taxidermy begins with the supplies you'll need to take along on your fishing expedition. Always carry salt, or better yet, borax. Sprinkle it on your catch liberally to help preserve the skin. Use wet paper towels to separate all of the fins from the body and to wrap the entire fish. Never freeze the fish until it has been wrapped, and don't store it in water for an extender period of time, as this can cause the skin and general shape of the fish to end up distorted.
  
  

Skinning

• To prepare your fish for mounting, decide which side looks better for displaying. Make a long incision with scissors or a scalpel on the opposite side, stretching from the gills to the tail fin. Remove as much of the skeleton and organs as possible before opening your incision and removing the skull and eyes. Scrape the inside of the skin with a dull blade to remove as much flesh as you can. Wipe down the exterior of the skin with a solution made from water and formalin, following instructions on the formalin for proper handling and mixing procedures.
  
  

Mounting

• Before re-wrapping your fish skin, trace the outline on a large piece of paper. Use this outline as a stencil for cutting a model from soft wood to serve as the center of your finished mount. Use a fibrous wrapping, such as manila cord, to wind the wooden core until it resembles the fish you caught in terms of size and shape. Dip the cord in plaster of paris so that it will harden after being wound into place. Shellac the finished mannequin and stretch the skin over it once it's dry. Apply paste to the inside of the skin so that it will remain firmly in place. Use a mixture of plaster of paris and short cord snippings to fill in the head, tail and any other areas that are loose.
  
  

Finishing

• Once the skin is wrapped around the mannequin, use large wood screws to attach it to a mounting board, which can be a piece of natural wood or a finished plaque. Use small marbles or taxidermists glass eyes to give your fish natural-looking eyes. Shellac the finished mount and use oil paints to add touches of color that may have faded between the time the fish was caught and when the skin was preserved. Finally, add a plaque indicating the date and location of the catch. You may choose to add the size of the fish, or let viewers simply see for themselves.