Recycle by sharing with a friend or return to East Capers Rack! Mounting Continued From Page 7
that will memorialize a special catch of a lifetime. I can’t Slowly circling the billfish mount, airbrush in hand, he thank Dobbelaer and Gray Taxidermy enough for inviting stalks his prey until every droplet is precisely in place. me to spend a magical day at their facility … a day that I Then, and only then, does he shut off the compressor, shall never forget. step back and admire his creation. He allows a confident small smile of satisfaction that belies his artistry developed in the process of painting in excess of 10,000 billfish in his career. Bob’s level of experience and his enthusiasm was mirrored in the many members of the team that I photographed and spoke with throughout the afternoon. Roger, master craftsman and mold maker; Leo Lamphone, plant manager; Garret Albrektsen, customization specialist; along with a host of painters, sanders and other specialists all eager to explain their sphere as well as their enthusiasm for their position. There is even a variety of small baitfish available to enhance a fish mount creating an even more realistic action scene. If space is a concern, or a client is looking for something different, then a jaw, tail or bill mount may Mounting Memories! work. These mounts are just as realistic, but they require much less space. Plus, a selection of personalized name plates to hang with mounts are available in a variety of sizes, shapes and styles. By the end of the day, I had been given the opportunity to chat with many of the Gray Production team and I saw the most realistic and authentic collection of fish mounts I had ever been privileged to see. From baitfish to billfish, I observed a vast number of their mounts in every stage of production assembled by an impressive team who convinced me that they enjoyed every step involved in creating them.
I came away realizing that any fish can be used to create a unique museum-quality fish mount. It takes only the imagination and desire of the client coupled with the talented artists at Gray Taxidermy to create a special design
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October November 2021