Thirty years ago in Issue 26 we published that first interview we did in January of 1991 with Mike Boyce. At that time Mike was 10 years into a vision and goal. We very likely received more positive comments about that interview than any article ever in Breakthrough. Ten thousand copies of that issue were printed with over 8,000 mailed to subscribers, and by early 1992 the issue was completely sold out. We have also been asked numerous times to republish that interview receiving requests just like this one from our Facebook page in a message to Kathy this past August, 2020:

“Hello Kathy. I have been talking with a couple of really talented ladies here in Wisconsin. They are rather new to the business. I’m mostly trying to get them to be smart in their pricing. I have NEVER forgotten the interview with Mike Boyce, Issue 26, from 1991. So I took pictures of it and sent it to them. That interview is timeless and should be read by everyone that starts doing taxidermy. Any chance of ever rerunning it? Just a thought.

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We have all received that call from a customer asking us to restore an old mount, and by the way of experience, we have learned in most cases to say no. Thus began my day in February 2020 when I took such a call from a customer asking me to restore a sailfish mount from the 1930s. I explained that it’s probably not worth his money or my time and he should explore the option of a fiberglass reproduction. The gentleman then proceeded to explain that this was not just any fish, but the fish that got Ernest Hemingway to come to Idaho.

This story now had my full attention and I asked him to explain. The caller said that in 1936 there was a young couple from Ketchum, Idaho, visiting Key West, Florida, on their honeymoon. They met Mr. Hemingway in a local bar and quickly became friends. Ernest invited them out on a fishing trip and this sailfish was caught by the newlyweds. Ernest had it mounted for them with the promise to deliver it to Idaho and see for himself this wonderful country as told to him by this couple. 

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We felt it was time to list and honor ALL those who have won Best in World Titles. The World Shows will be 38 years old this year and it is important that this history of accomplishments are remembered and not forgotten. If you multiply the winning entries listed in this review by the amount of time put into recreating each piece it would likely go into the hundred of thousands of hours. These accomplishments were earned, not just by being the best at that year’s competition, but by being the best in the world. Congratulations to those who have achieved this milestone and those that will do the same in the future.

The first World Show was held in 1983 in Atlanta, Georgia. It was a huge success, and brought forth the most cherished titles in taxidermy. During the formative years of the World Shows, it must be remembered that there were various category and title changes. We have attempted to present former winners in a simple and understandable listing, however, for the first couple of years, the names of various World Titles varied, and we have noted these variations.

We will also want to remind you that many times there were no World Titles given in various categories if the judges determine there were no entries worthy of those title. For that reason, you will notice that there were no titles awarded in certain years of the World Championships. 

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When Larry Blomquist left my shop in February of 2019 I told him this deer probably went together as well as any competition mount I had done. It should have—I already had a ton of hours fleshing, tanning the cape, and checking on the fit of the cape on the form before Larry arrived. Plus I had been planning this mount for years after seeing the photo on the cover of North American Hunter many years ago.

     If you have experience doing competition taxidermy, you know what I am talking about. If all of your preparation is done right and the form is prepared to fit the cape correctly, the rest of your mounting procedure should go smoothly.

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We have been busy lately doing spotted seatrout for the fisherman of the saltwater shallows. Most of these folks are fishing in grass flats with oyster beds and various tree debris with roots, or just an old snag of a piling that’s eaten up with wood worms. Most of our fish are destined to be hanging alone on a wall, but a small percentage of customers, however, want to add a habitat surrounding the area where the fish was caught to be added in. This certainly takes the end result to a new and more artistic level. The question is sometimes how do I build that with a simple but effective method, creating art and beauty without tremendous expense to the customer, and still profit for the time it takes to do the project. I’m going to share the design that has most of the bugs worked out for me in this article. It’s going to be more photos than text, so if you like speed article-reading this is going to be a good one to check out.

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