Today’s Modern Fish Mounts
Not Your Dad’s Skin Mount
By Thompson Smith
When I was a young angler fishing with my father in the Florida Keys, I was always intrigued by the mounted fish in the marina tackle shops. I would ask my father, “If I catch a bonefish, can we hang it on the wall like those?”
At that time, captains and mates, who were incentivized by the industry, encouraged the angler to catch and kill the fish for preservation as a skin mount. Today’s taxidermy techniques are a big part of the evolution to conserve our fisheries, and King Sailfish Mounts, with Daniel Miers at the helm, is leading the charge.
In 2022, Daniel, with his extensive marine background, brought fresh energy and a profound focus on marine conservation to the company. Miers has built on the company's rich history to establish King Sailfish Mounts (KSM) as the world’s premier marine art and taxidermy business.
The established companies Pflueger Marine Taxidermy and J.T. Reese Taxidermy Studios built the foundation to preserve anglers' catches for decades and produced great mounts. However, there was building pressure to establish a more sustainable fishery, and in 1991, Raymond Douglas opened KSM and introduced Release Mounts, which changed how mounts were created.
A simple picture and some accurate measurements were all that was needed to recreate an angler's catch, moving catch-and-release forward while staying true to the company's artistic roots. Handcrafted techniques combined with cutting-edge technology are how Miers has built from the rich history of fish mounts in the past into today’s modern masterpieces.
The Art of Today’s Modern Release Mounts
As the world’s premier business-to-consumer provider of fresh and saltwater mounts, KSM has also firmly established itself in the business-to-business market. With unique custom mounts and real-life action scenes for restaurants and retail spaces featuring baitfish being chased by predators, KSM is setting a new standard in environmental conservation with storytelling art installations!
The general public often sees taxidermy as creepy and weird, but Daniel’s artisans are changing that persona, especially for marine release mounts. The quality of these fantastic replicas is so lifelike that even the most skeptical of critics can’t help but be impressed. Take for example, the displays at the Pelagic retail store in Deerfield Beach. The image of scattering mahi as a blue marlin explodes behind them and a giant tarpon chasing mullet with its mouth agape is so eye-opening and filled with the excitement we all enjoy that the average viewer feels as if they are on the boat in the middle of the action! Restaurants like Quarterdeck and Flannagan’s and retailers like Yeti, Pelagic, and Bayou City Tackle all have KSM mounts at their locations.
The team at KSM has found the perfect balance by creating an exciting and inviting environment with these unique “storyscapes,” making for memorable experiences for everyone.
Daniel and his team of artists are constantly striving to make the best, most durable, fish mounts in the world. They are always improving their color combinations, fish molds, and the overall process to ensure the most realistic mounts available. Daniel explained to me how they are replicating fish that are “lit up” and look so much more realistic to mounts of the past.
“We hear all the time that nobody can touch them. The colors are amazing, and that comes directly from research and time to make sure the color combinations are right and that our artists have unlimited resources. I can say with authority that I have never said that those supplies are too expensive or that we can’t do that because it takes too long. We are 100 percent committed to ensuring the representation is as accurate as possible.”
"I can say with authority that I have never said that those supplies are too expensive or that we can’t do that because it takes too long.
We are 100 percent committed to ensuring the representation is as accurate as possible.”
- Daniel Miers, Owner of King Sailfish Mounts
Advanced Materials
Beyond half-sided fish mounts, freestanding and suspended fish mounts, and their custom fish mount packages, state-of-the-art composite fiberglass is the foundation for KSM’s skilled artisans. This foundation provides an extremely durable product that allows them to customize each feature of the over 174 species down to the most intricate details, creating the most realistic mounts in today’s market. They can be finished with UV-resistant coatings, allowing them to be displayed outside. For custom creations, KSM uses various materials, such as bronze and resin, for more unique designs.
KSM is working on a blue marlin mount that is going to be part of the Hemingway exhibit in the Worldwide Sportsman down there, which is literally engineered like a boat. It is a grander blue marlin that will stand in the middle of the store and has to be commercial grade because people are going to touch it and take pictures with it. It has a giant metal plate and crossbeams in it, so it will stand on its own, and when people bump into it, it won’t be a problem.
Mounts for the Dedicated Catch & Release Sportsman
At the beginning of this article, I mentioned my intrigue in getting a bonefish mounted when I was younger. I got that fish when I was 12 years old, and my father was excited to have it mounted to put in his bar, along with some of his most memorable catches. This was very important to me, and I felt that it secured my place as an angler of accomplishment.
Today, all of us who make fishing an integral part of our lives have set goals for ourselves, whether it is to catch a world record fish by weight or length or to catch a certain species on fly. However, more and more of us are drawn to the satisfaction of knowing that our part in conserving our fisheries is due to our focus on catch and release. This practice has become the standard for accomplishment for many of us.
We know that catch-and-release fishing will allow future generations to have the same opportunities we have had to catch the fish of a lifetime. Getting a fish to hand and taking proper care of that fish while getting your photos and measurements is as important today as it ever has been and KSM has set the standard for anglers that are dedicated to catch and release fishing with the highest quality release mounts available. Today, your memories and future ‘fishing stories’ can be preserved with the most accurate presentation possible.
Family Atmosphere at Work
The team at KSM is made up of true artists and fishermen, and creating these beautiful replicas only fuels their passion for fishing and creating art. Chris, who has been with the company for 20 years and used to paint fishing lures, as soon as he gets done working, grabs his wife, and they go out surf fishing all the time. Alfredo, the consummate artist’s artist of the team, when he takes off time from work, he goes home and does canvas art. He is the one who comes to us with suggestions on how to make the fish look better from different angles or trying different color combinations. Jason, the Operations Manager, summed it up. “Work environment is great. It’s a really tight-knit group that feels like family.”
This dedication to the art of combining passion with work has brought this special family atmosphere to the work environment at KSM, which truly embodies the saying, “Find a job you love, and you will never have to work a day in your life.”
World Record Fish Mounts
If you're curious about world record mounts, Daniel's team has plenty of experience, having mounted IGFA line-class record fish for years. They were even tasked with refurbishing Lou Marron’s incredible 536.15-kilogram (1,182-pound) swordfish. With this fish Marron set both the IGFA All-Tackle World Record for the species and the Men’s 60-kg (130-lb) Line Class World Record. The original, created by renowned Miami taxidermist Al Pflueger, featured real parts of the fish like the bill, head, tail, and fins, and was built from plaster, weighing nearly 200 pounds—a serious challenge to hang on a wall! After creating a new mold from the original mount, King Sailfish Mounts produced a lightweight 50-pound version using composite materials. The original fish parts were carefully restored and reattached, and the mount was finished with specially mixed paints to preserve the authenticity of this historic catch. Today, it’s proudly displayed at IGFA Headquarters. While staying true to the original, King Sailfish Mounts’ modern swordfish mounts are vibrant, lifelike, and bursting with color.
King Sailfish Mounts is currently working with the IGFA on a program that will offer trophies to anglers who achieve a world record catch. In addition, they are making a Grand Slam trophy with each species of fish and plaques with the date when they caught the slam and the sizes of each catch. As a sport fisherman, I think this is a great idea, and when I end my 40-plus years of frustration trying to catch a Florida Keys Inshore Slam, I will be getting one for sure! But this project has a much bigger purpose.
"When I think about how we can help the IGFA, it’s about getting people to buy in and understand what these groups do for our sport and the fish that support that sport," said Miers. "We work with The Billfish Foundation along with the IGFA, and what we are really after is how we can get people excited about participating and being involved with the IGFA. Another project we are working on now is offering an IGFA membership if a person gets a mount with us."
Daniel Mier's support for the organizations involved with conserving our fisheries is a great example of his vision for the future of our sport, and creating these beautiful mounts for us is a celebration of that.
So, there is no better time than now to get more involved with KSM to support the conservation of our fisheries, get a fabulous mount for your home or business, work towards your lifetime goals, and even get a 10% discount as an IGFA member!