# mount worthy brown trout?



## Phoolish

What do you consider a mount worthy brown trout?

Well my office is looking pretty dull and i think a nice brown would help.
Only really been fishing trout for 3 about to be 4 year and now im addicted
My largest this far was a 21", a few 18-20, and a monster that got away as i was landing it (almost cried, on top of that my buddy punched me in the arm because it was the biggest trout he's seen in person). i fish a smaller river / stream. 

Well my 2 goals for the year have fun (thats a given) and catch something mount worthy. 

Thanks,
Shane


----------



## -Axiom-

If you want a nice piece for your office go to the U.P. and hit the stocked ponds for a 20" brookie.


----------



## jasona44

Depends on where you are fishing and how big the stream is, where I fish is relatively small streams and my personal best is 22" that I got mounted. Where are these ponds with 20" brookies? I would love to get one that big in Michigan!!!
posted using Outdoor Hub Campfire


----------



## Phoolish

I would love to, but that wont be happening anytime soon. Too much stuff going on this year. There are few fish that can match the beauty of a big old brook.


----------



## Phoolish

jasona44 said:


> Depends on where you are fishing and how big the stream is, where I fish is relatively small streams and my personal best is 22" that I got mounted. Where are these ponds with 20" brookies? I would love to get one that big in Michigan!!!
> posted using Outdoor Hub Campfire



same here the river/stream get maybe 20'-25' at the widest points but mostly 10-15' wide but there have been a couple monsters pulled out. i know someone that pulled out a 25.5" out of there and they said one of their friend have pull that 28" (28" might be a fish story)


----------



## Robert Holmes

Fish for them at night or in the middle of a downpour. As for big brookies they are out there. Catching a true trophy fish is like shooting a 170 or better buck you have to use the three P's Patience, Practice, Presistance. I have personally caught loads of browns over 20" with 5 over 30" and several brook trout over 18" with 4 over 22 inches. I have mounted two brook and two brown trout.


----------



## Boozer

My thoughts...

It shouldn't be about the size so much as the experience, to me anyway, something like a mount should be a reminder of a great experience and moment you want to remember, not simply the number of inches it is in length...

I personally would rather have a high quality image of the fish than a mount, but to each his own...

Something about looking at the photo and wondering if that fish is still swimming intrigues me...


----------



## OH-YEAH!!!

Boozer said:


> My thoughts...
> 
> It shouldn't be about the size so much as the experience, to me anyway, something like a mount should be a reminder of a great experience and moment you want to remember, not simply the number of inches it is in length...
> 
> I personally would rather have a high quality image of the fish than a mount, but to each his own...
> 
> Something about looking at the photo and wondering if that fish is still swimming intrigues me...


I agree with Boozer that a picture can be nicer than a mounted fish. 

This framed shot was done for much less than it would have cost to mount or replicate the fish. The print was $15 at Walgreens and the framing was much less than the taxidermist would charge.

The key is having a good quality camera and using the sun or flash appropriately. I wish I had been wearing a hat in this shot but the bugs were bad and I'd had the hood pulled over my head to keep the bugs off til the picture was taken. The camera was a Sony DSC RX100 pocket camera. I have been hoping for that fish/shot for 20 years and was glad to have a decent camera around to get the shot.

Good luck getting some pictures or mounts in your office.  Here's my stupidly large picture though it could have been twice as big with the camera that took the shot...


----------



## Brown duck

Boozer said:


> My thoughts...
> 
> It shouldn't be about the size so much as the experience, to me anyway, something like a mount should be a reminder of a great experience and moment you want to remember, not simply the number of inches it is in length...


I agree, especially when on some boards (not always MS.com) people get blasted for saying they're going to mount a particular fish - "No way! It has to be XX" to mount!" 

I like the print idea - I wish I was or had friends who were better photographers.


----------



## Shoeman

I had an old friend that mentioned a wise point. Mounts go from the living room to the den to the basement and then the garage. My dad's are currently in the garage. The curb is next


----------



## OH-YEAH!!!

Shoeman said:


> I had an old friend that mentioned a wise point. Mounts go from the living room to the den to the basement and then the garage. My dad's are currently in the garage. The curb is next


Also, you can buy really nice pre-cut, matted frames at Meijer or Hobby Lobby for $40 or so to frame a decent sized print.


----------



## Phoolish

I agree with the pics but I've always wanted to have a fish mounted. I do have a really nice camera. Christmas I bought myself a pentax k30 it weather proof (rain, cold, and heat proof) but can't be submerged so I want to get a dry bag for it before I take it on the river.


----------



## DFJISH

Shoeman said:


> I had an old friend that mentioned a wise point. Mounts go from the living room to the den to the basement and then the garage. My dad's are currently in the garage. The curb is next


The counterpart to that is that pictures go from the wall to the drawer to a box and then to the attic. The curb is next.  
I wonder if YOU would really enjoy a picture of your special brown trout as much as a mount of *the fish* you caught?? IMO very few fishermen would. 
I completely agee with the advice that length should only be one factor in what you consider for a mount. My dentist has a mounted 15" brook trout he caught displayed in his office. While brook trout sure do exceed that length, because it was a native river fish he was proud enough of it to have it mounted. Folks in your office might overlook a photo of big brown, _but not a mount of one._ Good luck!


----------



## blittle913

DFJISH said:


> The counterpart to that is that pictures go from the wall to the drawer to a box and then to the attic. The curb is next.
> I wonder if YOU would really enjoy a picture of your special brown trout as much as a mount of *the fish* you caught?? IMO very few fishermen would.
> I completely agee with the advice that length should only be one factor in what you consider for a mount. My dentist has a mounted 15" brook trout he caught displayed in his office. While brook trout sure do exceed that length, because it was a native river fish he was proud enough of it to have it mounted. Folks in your office might overlook a photo of big brown, _but not a mount of one._ Good luck!


I agree....my personal favorite way to do it is framing a picture under the mounted fish.

posted using Outdoor Hub Campfire


----------



## Phoolish

another part about the pic is i fish alone 90% of the time


----------



## RS1983

I will get something mounted if it is a good example of the species and there is a memorable story or experience to go behind it. I've got two animals mounted, a bufflehead drake and a goldeneye drake. Are they trophy birds? Most waterfowlers would say no. But the bufflehead I shot on my last hunt with an old timer who showed me how to waterfowl. I moved away and lost touch with him. When I look at the mount I remember his showing me how to hunt. The goldeneye came from a hunt with a friend who considers that duck his "trophy bird", always eluding him. We were hunting together on the big lake and I see him crouching down on top of a seawall, looking at something flying his way. The duck blasts over the top of the wall at mach 4. He goes to swing on it and I kill it with a 30 yard hip shot.


----------



## DFJISH

RS1983 said:


> I will get something mounted if it is a good example of the species and there is a memorable story or experience to go behind it. I've got two animals mounted, a bufflehead drake and a goldeneye drake. Are they trophy birds? Most waterfowlers would say no. But the bufflehead I shot on my last hunt with an old timer who showed me how to waterfowl. I moved away and lost touch with him. _When I look at the mount I remember his showing me how to hunt._ The goldeneye came from a hunt with a friend who considers that duck his "trophy bird", always eluding him. We were hunting together on the big lake and I see him crouching down on top of a seawall, looking at something flying his way. The duck blasts over the top of the wall at mach 4. He goes to swing on it and I kill it with a 30 yard hip shot.


Any hunter or fisherman can deeply appreciate what you have so eloquently described. Your mounted bird was right there and then when you and the oldtimer hunted together. No picture could ever take the place of that mount. Thank you for sharing that special experience with us.


----------



## Robert Holmes

If it is worth doing do not be afraid to spend some money. You are looking at an easy 100$ for a professional frame that will make a photo stand out. Probably $40 for the enlargement of the photo. I have spent about $300 each for my trout mounts. That brings up another issue which is going with a skin mount or a replica mount. I have four skin mounts and one replica. I prefer the replica. The price is real close to the same either way.


----------



## Phoolish

Robert Holmes said:


> If it is worth doing do not be afraid to spend some money. You are looking at an easy 100$ for a professional frame that will make a photo stand out. Probably $40 for the enlargement of the photo. I have spent about $300 each for my trout mounts. That brings up another issue which is going with a skin mount or a replica mount. I have four skin mounts and one replica. I prefer the replica. The price is real close to the same either way.


Well if i were to have one mount i would most likely have my uncle do it. I like skin mount more but i really all depends on the situation for me


----------



## DFJISH

Phoolish said:


> Well if i were to have one mount i would most likely have my uncle do it. I like skin mount more but i really all depends on the situation for me


Having a friend/relative mount your fish just adds another dimension to how special it would be for you. I've done mounts for my grandkids, nephews, and some close friends. It's special both ways because I get a great deal of satisfaction knowing that they chose me to mount their fish. 
The vast majority of fishermen, like you, prefer skin mounts over fiberglass models because one is THE fish that YOU caught while the model is _a copy of one that someone else caught. _The *real* fish has an intrinsic value unknown by anything artificial. Consider real gold to fool's gold, real diamonds to "diamonique'(glass), real pearls to plastic beads, real antlers to reproduction antlers, real fur to "faux" fur, and the list goes on and on. If your uncle mounts a brown trout for you I hope you post it here for us to see. Good luck!!


----------



## Phoolish

DFJISH said:


> Having a friend/relative mount your fish just adds another dimension to how special it would be for you. I've done mounts for my grandkids, nephews, and some close friends. It's special both ways because I get a great deal of satisfaction knowing that they chose me to mount their fish.
> The vast majority of fishermen, like you, prefer skin mounts over fiberglass models because one is THE fish that YOU caught while the model is _a copy of one that someone else caught. _The *real* fish has an intrinsic value unknown by anything artificial. Consider real gold to fool's gold, real diamonds to "diamonique'(glass), real pearls to plastic beads, real antlers to reproduction antlers, real fur to "faux" fur, and the list goes on and on. If your uncle mounts a brown trout for you I hope you post it here for us to see. Good luck!!


will do. my other uncle asked if he could mount a squirrel for him and he did but it wasnt what he thought it was going to be. he mounted a squirrel going into a hole in a tree so all you could see is the squirrel butt with its tail up it was a pretty funny Christmas gift haha:lol:

kinda like this one but with a tree


----------



## outdoors michigan

I Say mount the next fish you land. if its something you want for yourself. 
The trophy is in the eye of the beholder. 

posted using Outdoor Hub Campfire


----------



## kotimaki

I caught a brown last June that I deemed worthy of a mount. A fish of a lifetime and an unforgettable story to accompany it. I was fishing a hex spinner fall that was very sparse. After landing a few decent fish the run I had been casting to slowed considerably. I thought I had put the fish down fighting. SLURP....big fish feeding... I timed him for a few flies and he took on my first cast....all hell broke loose. This was way more fish than expected. After about 20 minutes I had him close enough to touch....tried to tail him and broke him off....I taught the river new words...I threw my rod....and I sat on the bank with the shakes....

Sent from my DROID RAZR using Tapatalk 2


----------



## kotimaki

The next night found me at the same run...I sat and waited...never made a cast until I heard him feed....he took on the third cast....30 minutes later he was in my hand...the first thing I did was hit the light and look. Yep there's my fly from the previous night. I'll have him back from the taxi this week....my first fly and a couple inches of leader still in his mouth. 28 inches. Just under 8 lbs. Not a lake run fish. I figure that I saved the lives of a few generations of brookies by killing that trout. And I will never forget it....

Sent from my DROID RAZR using Tapatalk 2


----------



## kotimaki

Sent from my DROID RAZR using Tapatalk 2


----------



## kotimaki

Sent from my DROID RAZR using Tapatalk 2


----------



## Phoolish

kotimaki said:


> Sent from my DROID RAZR using Tapatalk 2



nice fish and good story


----------



## there's a hole in my boot

when i was around 12 i hooked into about a 4 pound large mouth fishing a lake close to my grandmothers, broke my brand new rod that i spent all the money i could earn to get.... third cast..... i kept the fish more out of spite than the need for food and when i got back to the house my dad suprised me a year later there was a mount with the busted section of rod the destroyed bobber and hook still in his mouth. dad told me he cleaned and we ate the fish. so any fish you catch that is a trophy to you is worht mounting


----------



## rcleofly

Boozer said:


> My thoughts...
> 
> It shouldn't be about the size so much as the experience, to me anyway, something like a mount should be a reminder of a great experience and moment you want to remember, not simply the number of inches it is in length...
> 
> I personally would rather have a high quality image of the fish than a mount, but to each his own...
> 
> Something about looking at the photo and wondering if that fish is still swimming intrigues me...





posted using Outdoor Hub Campfire


----------

