If we had to choose just one aspect of fishing that we enjoy above all the others it would have to be the story.
Yes, every caught fish has its own unique account behind it. It doesn’t have to be a personal best, have exceptional color or necessarily differentiated in some obvious way. It will still have a feature.
Of course, the exceptional fish are the ones whose tales we retell most often. Whether it be the first fish of a particular species, a true fish of a life time, a fish that demonstrated some very unusual behavior or a myriad of other circumstances that make it special to us, we tend not only to relive the experience but also to want some record of that specific event.
Saving the Moment
The question is, how do you commemorate those special moments? Do you immortalize your fish by keeping it only to deliver it to a taxidermist? Do you prefer having a replica made for a mount to put on a shelf so that you can recall the catch in detail? Or do you simply take a photo, blow it up, have it professionally edited, then frame it to hang it on the wall?
None of these are bad options per se but, when you think about it, they only tell one side of the story … yours. What about the other side, the fishes side? Is there a way to get some insight into that facet of the record?
We’ve run across an alternative that allows you to do just that. Have you ever heard of squamatology? For those of you who aren’t familiar with this term, it is the study of fish scales.
Real Talk
We’re all aware of the practice of keeping a scale from a tarpon. Yes possibly the most infamous fish whose reputation is only equal to the reality of targeting the “Silver King”. Many anglers have had their hearts broken by this wonderful beast so when you do land one, the most obvious memento is a single scale. It doesn’t harm the fish but serves as a trophy for the angler.
Locked within the scale, much like the bands of a tree, are rings that can be observed with a microscope. These rings hold a wealth of information about that particular fish for those who are interested enough to do the research necessary to unlock those details.
Not only do they have a narrative of that specific fish, they are truly one of natures works of art. They are, like our finger prints, absolutely unique to that one individual. Furthermore, they hold a host of information including, but not limited to age, how many times they have spawned, the conditions in which they have lived, abundance or lack thereof of forage etc.
In short, it is a blue print of their life history.
Beautiful Imagery
At Scaleprints.com you can choose from a selection of existing work or you can send them a scale that you have extracted from a fish that you’ve caught which they will then, using photomicrography, produce a piece of wall art for you that will be as singularly unique and beautiful as the scale you obtained.
We’ve included some pics of Michael’s, the owner/operator of scaleprints.com, work for you to look at but you will get more information by visiting his site.
As an aside, if you’ve ever looked into fish taxidermy you can expect to pay between $10-$20 per linear inch with minimums if you’re fish doesn’t meet a particular length.
To have a quality replica produced, you’re going to need to be prepared to spend a couple hundred dollars if not more.
To have a one of a kind scale print delivered to you … well, we’ll let you see for yourself how incredibly affordable that is. All you have to do is visit scaleprints.com to find out!
See ya’ on the water …
