With the size of the musk caught today, the idea of ​​obtaining a replica mount has become commonplace in the musk fishing community. The concept of "catch and release" has become the norm when deciding to release trophy fish. However, this process is not always the case. It became the target of the specimen stripping master and son team of the Conover Wisconsin Loose Copy Company. Ron and Rick Lax really pioneered this process in making molds and drawing these stunning works of art that hang on the walls of anglers across the country. The following tells the story and process of how it happened, and is excerpted from a previous article published by Patricia Strutz. The complete article can be found here (https://www.lake-link.com/articles/363/graphite-replicas/).  

Past and present... Since the early 1900s, the Natural History Museum has been making fish replicas. In the early years, since glass fibers had not yet been invented, gypsum and pasty compounds were used. For many years, these materials have been untenable. When new resins were introduced, they were used to make artificial parts in skin stents to overcome some problem areas of certain species.

Ron and his son Rick Larks from Conover, Wisconsin, are the key to the origin of the graphite replica-they are known for their work with Musk. About 15 years ago, Laxes had the opportunity to reinstall the world record tiger musk captured by John Knobla in 1919. Rick Lax explained: “We soak it all into the original skin, put it in a new form, and shape the fish. This is what really made us start making mold replicas ourselves. Before that, you could only use animals Specimen suppliers buy limited models of models. Catch and release are not as common as they are today. Since my father is famous for big fish, we can still catch a lot of 53", 54", 40# fish. My father is right. The perception of this industry trend paid off because we were able to make many molds for all the fishing and release hunters today. It is now difficult to produce our own molds because many anglers are releasing their fish."

In the past 20 years, numerous improvements have been made in the quality of reproductions. Years ago, options were limited, and often the end result seemed artificial. Today's replicas have a variety of action positions-from natural swimming poses to "S" or reverse curve poses. The paint details, especially the prominent proportions, have been greatly improved. Open, trumpet-shaped gills are now available. How is all this achieved?

Process... Today, many taxidermists still buy models (blank fish models) from taxidermists. Laxes has personally created more than 80 different musk molds. Rick Lax led us through evolution. "We start with a beautiful specimen-no scars, good scales, etc. Then we will decide to pose as a fish. We will only use a fish to make a mold because the details will not be good enough later. We will install it first because of this It is easier to handle. This is one of the secrets of our successful manufacturing of high-quality molds. In order to make the mold, we placed a partition fence in the middle of the fish as a seam. Then we poured silicone rubber on the side of the fish. It will be at 20 It’s set in minutes. That’s the inside of the mold. Next, we will make the fiberglass shell on the rubber. We turn it over and use the same method to make the other side. Then we will drill holes around the fish and place both sides Fasten together with bolts. Next, we will separate the fence and bolts, separate the two sides, and the fish will come out. We will reconnect the sides and leave a vent hole at the top. When we create the model, we will pour Put in high-tech plastic or fiberglass and rotate it. This will be done in about six minutes. It is hollow, like an egg shell, 1/8 inch-1/4 inch thick to enhance strength and detail."

"Making a mold requires a lot of money, but we have cast hundreds of replicas from one master mold. We have made head molds separately, so we can customize different sizes of heads for different bodies. By adjusting the heads accordingly The head can be increased or decreased by one inch. The largest head mold we have comes from a 57-inch fish. It is 15 inches long from the tip of the lower jaw to her gill plate. That is huge! The teeth are carved, the eyes are fixed and painted Paint. Although we usually process a group of fish in stages, we will continue to reflect the photos and needs of each specific customer. My dad always said, "We make one at a time, just like a ranger ship! "

"The flexible fins are also cast separately. It takes some time to assemble all these parts because each customer has their preference for head position, posture, etc. We studied their photos many times throughout the process. Once we assembled Actor, the artistry of painting begins. First we apply primer. Speckled fish are usually very light, fish from dyed waters are often very dark, etc. We use paint that dries quickly. Then, we paint through Marking to really customize the fish. We are very precise-to the spots on the cheeks and fins. We finished it with a thick transparent coating to make it look shiny and moist."

Just add or remove parts from the casting to adjust the circumference size. Cosmetic touch-up is also a possibility. For example, if the photo shows that the fish has spawning scars or split fins, customers may choose to copy their catch completely, or they may change it to make it more aesthetically pleasing.

Photographs and measurement techniques... In order to accurately replicate your catch, be sure to take a few beautiful photos of the fish from different angles. The side-view photo will show the pattern, but a close-up photo of the head and waistline should also be taken. Turn off the flash and keep it away from sunlight as much as possible to avoid washing off the marks. Accurate length measurement must be performed. Only if you can take other measurements without endangering the health of the fish. For circumference measurement, be sure to place the tape on the largest area of ​​the fish. When the fish is still comfortable in a deep net or a cradle in the water, the circumference can be measured easily.

Why choose a copy? Compared with skin installation, there are many advantages. Over time, the skin scaffold is more likely to deteriorate. The reproduction is not easy to fade or change color. When an accident occurs, it is easier for the specimen stripper to repair the damaged copy. Replicas only need to use Windex for basic dust removal and cleaning. Because they are relatively smooth, they are easier to remove dust than skin supports, because scales can breed dust accumulation.

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