After your successful trip to the lake, you'll want to remember the great time you had and your triumphant battle with the elusive bass, trout, walleye, or salmon. What better way to do that than to keep a trophy of your adventure? You'll need to find an experienced fish taxidermist to help you mount your catch. Here are some tips for finding a good one.

• Fish taxidermy is a difficult field, and you should find a professional with lots of experience. Be familiar with the different kinds of fish taxidermy and talk to your taxidermist about them. Does he know how to mount your bass? If you brought him a sailfish, what would he do with it? An experienced fish taxidermist should be able to tell you all about how he'll mount your fish, including any choices you might have. What pose do you want? How will you mount the fish? On the wall? Do you need a fish mount to put on a flat surface? Talking to your taxidermist for a few minutes will tell you a lot about his or her experience.
• Does your taxidermist do only fish? Deer? What about saltwater fish? A truly great artist will specialize, so if you want the best, you might look for a taxidermist who deals only with fish. If you're making a trophy of a saltwater fish, you might even look for one who deals only in saltwater fish taxidermy. On the other hand, a specialist will probably charge more, so there's a trade off.
• Look at your taxidermist's work. They should have lots of it prominently displayed in their shop. (If they don't, it's a bad sign. They might be inexperienced or not have any good work to show off!) Is their work beautiful? Can you see displaying similar pieces in your home? Since fish taxidermy is largely about art, you need to find a fish taxidermist who is mainly an artist. Looking at their work is the best way to decide if you'll be happy with your trophy.
• Finally, you need to find a fish taxidermist who is friendly. Find one who will work with you to make sure you're completely happy with your fish mount. Your trophy deserves the best -- make sure you find a good fish taxidermist! Good luck!