Alive fish on the wall? C&R replica
I just found out how easy this is so I had to share it with you! I got this question from a guest that is planing to come in the future. Is it possible to do a catch and release replica of a fish? I had to look further into that...
There is nothing in my work that bets making a fishing dream come true! I have the pleasure to be guiding on places with some of the largest growing fish of its species. The Ammarnäs trout is one of them, big and spooky brown trout in small rivers, it doesn't get better then that! You understand that the moments are few you get to fight and maybe briefly hold a fish like this before seeing it swim back. No matter how long it took casting before it bites its wort it every single time, I promise you! But what if you could see it in your office reminding you each day before going home that its still out there somewhere?
Nowadays killing the trophy is not the only option and an option that you can throw out the window if you ask me. Both in the river in Ammarnäs and in Tjuonajokk you are not allowed to keep a large trout and I think that's fantastic! They are super important!
Through the years many huge trout in Sweden has lost their lives to be attacked to a wall some-were.
How to handle and document the fish
What you need to do for a c&r replica is simply to take some pictures, detailed picture up close is good, a picture from the side is a must and the length of the fish. For a free standing replica you need pictures of both sides and from some different angles doesn't hurt to make the final result as close to the real fish. When making such a photo shoot of a fish like you would need for a free standing replica you have to really think and don't do things than what the fish can't handle to survive. In general you must avoid as much time as possible above the surface. It doesn't have to be more complicated than this.
although we al know that nighttime often is the time when you get in contact with the largest trout, the picture earlier with Ludvig Clarmo tailing a nice 75 centimeter trout was actually exactly at mid night during July in Ammarnäs, than it's bright outside twentyfourseven. So ether you travel north or you better catch your dream fish during daytime.
The darkness makes it a lot more difficult capturing the details of a fish but completing with pictures of trout with similar colors photographed in daylight could be enough for making a good replica.
Pricing and recommended contact
Pricing vary depending on whether it is a wall mount or a free standing two sided replica you want. The current pricing is about SEK 120 per centimeter of the length of the fish when wall mounted. Freestanding replica costs about SEK 180 per centimeter. The average size of the Ammarnäs trout is 68 centimeter so a wall mounted fish in that size costs about SEK 8160.
This crazy sea trout was actually shaped like this! Mean looking and fast growing fish!
The coloring and details looks really good if you ask me.
Estimated time
Its a slow process doing this kind of work and the waiting list is quite long. Taking the risk of maybe lengthening the wait until I have one at home I just hade to let people in my circuit know about this! Its a true art-form and I expect the waiting-list to grow now extensively. At the moment it takes more than two years until you have a finished product in the office or on the living room wall.
I have been in contact with Bo Wessman and I can recommend you to do so if you are in thoughts of this:
Bo Wessman
bosse.wessman@gmail.com
Thank you for letting me use your pictures Bo!