I've had one fish mounted...an 8 pound largemouth bass. When I got it back, the girth was not as impressive as it was on the fish when I took it to the taxidermist. He informed me that in the drying process the skin shrinks. He had actually pulled a little of the "other" side to make it look fatter, but it's still not as impressive as the photo. A reproduction could've been more accurate, I believe. The photo is all the proof I need.
Just my observations.
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If every fisherman would pick up one piece of trash, we'd have cleaner rivers and more access.