New Trophies

These trout heads are a new way of remembering fish in the era of catch-and-release.

Created by North Wales sculptor Marc Williams, they can be based upon photographs supplied by anglers. Marc said, “The essence of a fish can be captured well by recreating the head.” He explained that displaying them as a pedestal mount is unique and has the advantage of being space-saving, ideal for collectors to display on shelves or bookcases, even as bookends.

Marc hand-paints each head, depicting individual markings — for example, using an airbrush to capture the halo around brown trout spots. Dimensions and materials vary, but heads are typically 6cm to 18cm, displayed on acrylic or wooden rods and attached to wood or plaster platforms.

A self-taught artist, Marc is also a taxidermist, learning his craft from the highly regarded Bob Reid at Snowdonia Taxidermy Studios.

He said, “I have found the process of restoring a creature to its previous life-like beauty fascinating. This [head] method, although involving additional carving, sculpting and painting techniques, depicts the fish in a permanent, realistic form as an alternative to traditional fish taxidermy. Without doubt, my experience in taxidermy has provided me with a knowledge of the anatomy of fish and mammals that is essential in the recreating process.”

Marc’s other work includes wall and full pedestal mounts.

View at: mayflyfishrecreations.co.uk