So, your Maui fishing charter was a success. Whether that fish was a record breaker, or simply the largest or most beautiful thing you ever landed, you earned bragging rights! On Maui, you have three options available to you: Mounts, Prints, or Photos.
Fish Mounts / Taxidermy
In Hawaii, fish aren’t “stuffed” anymore. Virtually every captain I know uses fiberglass fish replicas rather than traditional skin mounts. Unlike stuffed skin mounts, a fiberglass replica won’t deteriorate over time. You won’t have to face that ugly skin shrinkage, or grease bleed that is so common with saltwater fish. These replicas will literally last a lifetime and are incredibly lifelike. Also, by ordering a replica fish mount, you can promote catch-and-release fishing.
If you’re interested in obtaining a trophy mount please discuss this with your crew as you head out on your fishing charter. They’ll walk you through the process, discuss costs, timelines and expectations.
Gyotaku / Japanese Fish Printing
Gyotaku is the ancient Oriental art of printing on either cloth or rice paper using an actual fish for the imprint. There are a couple of artists on Maui who do this exceptionally well. Brian Heustis, owner of Maui Fish Printing, works regularly with a number of vessels here. Mention their name to your captain, they can help you with all the arrangements. The benefits of Gyotaku over traditional fish mounting are speed of delivery, the price. My personal opinion is they’re also more attractive as an artform, but that’s totally subjective!
Fish Pictures
OK, this is sort of a no-brainer. You did bring your camera, right? But let’s look beyond the obligatory proud angler on the dock. If at all possible, go for the art shot; one you can blow up to 20″ x 30″ and proudly showcase on your wall. Fish pictures as art should be taken moments after bringing the fish on board the boat, because after that the brilliant colors start to fade.
Fish for Dinner!
READ: Keeping Your Catch
