Want your catch preserved and want to eat it too?
That's the idea behind Pacific Trophy Impressions, a company in Anchor Point that can turn your fish into a piece of art for a fraction of the cost of a traditional fish mount.
Martin Escobedo of Pacific Trophy Impressions in Anchor Point will turn your catch of the day...
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Founded in 2005 by Martin Escobedo, Pacific Trophy Impressions follows a long traditional form of Japanese fish printing called "gyotaku."
The process involves applying ink to a prized fish and then making an impression of it on paper or muslin.
The print essentially is a copy of what the fish looked like, down to the size of its scales.
"People are pretty happy (with the final result)," said Escobedo. "They get something that really looks like (their catch). It's the only true record that remains."
Escobedo grew up around fishing as his father was a charter captain in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico. He began making fish impressions in the mid-90s while fishing on the Kenai River.
Through the years he moved from single color impressions to multi-color impressions that replicate the coloring of the fish itself.
Escobedo said the impression takes about 30 minutes to an hour and then he works on the print for another couple of hours.
"We can deliver in 24 hours," he said. "That's what my goal is."
Escobedo charges $1 per inch times the number of colors used so the bigger the fish, the more the impression costs. Typical prints run anywhere from $50 to $200.
Compare that to a traditional mount that costs $4 per inch. Escobedo says fish printing is an economical way to preserve the memory of that monster.
The largest fish he has done was an eight-foot sailfish caught in Mexico last year and the smallest may have been a recent Irish Lord.
"It was the hardest fish I've done," he said of the Irish Lord. "But it came out great."
Escobedo also has made impressions of halibut tails and says just about any size fish can be accommodated.
"It can be no wider than eight feet and no longer than 50 yards," he laughed. "That's my limit. And if you do catch a fish that big, don't even bother bringing it in. We'll print it out there."
Custom color schemes are also available, as well as painted plywood cutouts. Visit the Web at pacifictrophyimpressions.com or call (907) 299-0460 for more information.
... into a piece of art, using a traditional form of Japanese fish printing called "Gyotaku"
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Ben Stuart can be reached at ben.stuart@homernews.com.
