Not so serious fish carving.

[Flipper]

Hi Guys, did this fish carving for a friend for Christmas and thought some of you might get a kick out of it. It is 18 1/2 inches long and half that is head so it also has a mean bite. I gave it a little grin as well. Have done a lot of realistic carvings and this was a fun stress relief. Have a Merry Christmas everyone.

[rustyman]

great job man, I'd like to see one of your realistic muskies or pike as well. Wish Casey Edwards would come to the Chicago show again. I bought a cool carving of two muskies on an oar a few years ago and can't find him to buy more stuff.

[J Routt]

Wow, pure talent. Great job!

[tomcat]

that is awesome, Flipper! very cool.

[Flipper]

Thanks Guys, I wish I would have been able to get a pic without a flash because that kind of bleaches out the color. The people I gave it to were really happy with the creation and can't wait to put it at their lake place behind the bar.

[steven]

wow great work. do you have other pics of your other work?

[Flipper]

I don't have a pic of a Musky but I will try and have the guy with the carving email me one. I had some pics of some others on my PC so here you go. The first is a 21" Northern checking out a butterfly.



couple of a Bluegill and Snail




Leaping Tarpon

[Flipper]

Smallmouth and Crayfish, Longear Sunfish, Steelhead and a Rainbow.

[Flipper]

Sailfish on a hook and a Queen Triggerfish.

[steven]

ok now i have to ask do you sell these?
do you have a web site?

[Flipper]

steven, I used to do a lot of fish taxidermy and developed an allergic reaction to fish flesh on my hands. I then switched to reproduction fish and wood carvings. Some of the top fish taxidermists in the country made the switch to fish carving and I jumped in with the rest. I would give them as gifts and sold a few to help support some of my other hobbies. It got to the point I was working all my spare time instead of hunting and fishing. I slowed things down and started playing more! The Queen Trigger was the last competition piece I entered in the World Fish Carving Championships in 2001 and I have not done a lot of carving since.

As far as a Website the answer is no, I found out you can get swamped and way behind in a hurry. It just takes a lot of hours to do a carving.

[steven]

Well all I can say is YOU have a gift!!!
you have some great work there.
I am very impressed with your work.
thanks for the info.
Steve Fiorio

[Dave T]

hey Flipper, i was reading your replies, and noticed you mentioned you developed an allergic reaction to fish flesh on your hands. was wondering if you could elaborate on that, because i have had problems the last few years handling fish, and wondered if it may be the same as what you are experiencing..

thanks

Dave

[Flipper]

Dave, the skin on my fingertips gets very dry and starts to peal and it feels like I have thistle needles in them when I touch something. I talked to other taxidermists at the world shows that had the same problem. I tried wearing gloves and that was tough trying to skin a fish. Or, with latex gloves a bone would poke a hole and you would have the same problem. It's always catch and release for me on everything unless someone else is cleaning the walleye or bluegill.

[Dave T]

Flipper, thats a little different then what i experience. my fingers will get bumps on them, then the skin will dry up and peel off... doesnt really hurt, but is annoying.. basically kills all the skin, weird... went to a dermatologist, and he said it was from the water???

thanks for the reply

Dave

[Flipper]

It sounds the same, my nerves only got tender a couple times when I kept working on fish but the rest of the time it is the way you explaned it. Like it kills the first layer of skin.

Jeff

[Dave T]

Well let me know if you ever find anything to help it, and i will do the same.. saw something on the net called gloves in a bottle, may try that and see if it helps..

thanks

Dave

[Flipper]

Here is the Musky I did years ago getting ready for a Muskrat snack.