There are other things to keep in mind if you end up mounting your fish. The first question you need to consider is whether you want a skin mount or a fiberglass reproduction. If you opt for a traditional skin mount, you obviously need to keep the fish. That means you have to take care of it so a taxidermist can make the best possible mount. But don't despair if you release the fish.
Some taxidermists offer fiberglass replicas.
Snap a color photo, measure the length and girth of the fish, and you'll have all the information needed to order a realistic look-alike. For that reason, many of his rainbow trout mounts in recent years have been fiberglass reproductions, he said. But reproductions don't appeal to everybody. While purists might want their prize to be more like an original painting, many anglers don't care if they get the equivalent of a color print. If you are going to keep the fish for a trophy, treat it gently.