There are a lot of reproduction fish blanks out there, and they range in quality and detail. Along with higher quality, the newer generation of fish blanks come at a higher price -- no surprise there. The quality of the fish blanks today can produce fish that look surprisingly real, without the problems of skin mounts. This way, you don’t have to kill the fish to have the trophy on your wall.
After selecting a good quality fish blank that resembles your fish, the real magic is in the painting process. The detail work, such as installing and preparing the fins, repairing seams and blemishes in the molded fish, hand-painting each individual scale, and layering precise formulations of colors to simulate natural fish, requires patience and skill. We have all seen skin mount and reproduction fish that looked like “painted fish” but how often do you see skin mounted or reproduction fish that look like you could release them back in the water?
The assembly-line approach can produce nice looking fish, but the emphasis is usually on getting the job done quickly, rather than creating a piece that looks similar to the fish being reproduced. For some people where price is a deciding factor, these fish mounts are fine. But for those who want a reproduction that looks like a real fish they would be willing to pay more if they knew someone who could paint fish that looked more realistic.
Ray Grandner has traveled all over the world fly fishing, and over the years, he has ordered several reproduction fish made to match fish he caught. But he was never quite satisfied with the way the fish were painted. Being an artist himself, he decided he was going research the fish painting process and techniques. He started painting his own fish to make them look like the fish he actually caught. It didn’t take too long before his customers were ordering his reproduction fish. Ray developed his own techniques and style for building the layers of color and gloss to create the look of a real fish. Each fish is painted one at a time, to completion. Most fish take several days to paint, but the end result is well worth it. If you are looking for a custom painted fish that looks like the fish you caught give Ray a call (607-739-4348) or email fishreproductions@gmail.com.
© 1998-2008 Catch and Release Fish Reproductions 185 Pine Valley Road, Pine Valley, NY 14872 (map) | (607) 739-4348 | fishreproductions@gmail.com |
Along with releasing trophy fish back into the wild, reproduction fish mounts are gaining popularity with the fly fishing and conventional fishing groups. 
