Gyotaku

I stumbled on an interesting project last spring that sounded like it was a little out of my element but the final product was too tempting to keep me from trying it out.  Like my fish tail mounting expedition, this idea came out of The Total Fishing Manual and was published by Field and Stream.  It is called Gyotaku and has been around for over a hundred years and originates from Japan.  Here's the basic rundown: you catch a fish, dry it off, smear ink all over said fish, press it to paper, and voila, you have a fish stamp.  It is a fairly simple process that I got the chance to try out last spring.

If you don't know, I am typically a catch and release guy but the owners of a pond that I was fishing in last spring wanted a few bass for dinner so I thought I would get the most out of my catch.  Prior to fileting the fish, I made some prints of them that turned out about as good as a first time project can be expected to turn out.  The prints looked good but not great.  However, I picked up a few tricks that I wanted to pass along to you in case you are interested in attempting this project.

Most importantly, you want to dry the fish off as much as possible.  A layer of slime interferes with the paint/ink and decreases the definition of the scales.  This is wildly important.  The definition of the scales is what separates this project from being a fish blot and more of a fish stamp.  Aside from having a towel on hand, you're also going to need some ink/paint, some paper obviously, and a roller to spread the ink wouldn't hurt.  You might also want to play around with a couple of options.  You can either press the fish to the paper or press the paper to the fish.  Either way, make sure you make a firm imprint and that you don't leave out important parts like the tail, dorsal fin, anal fin, mouth or eye.  If you make an impression of just the body, then that is what you will get and if that is all you want then more power to you.  You might also make two prints with the fish before inking it again or calling it quits.  The first impression might contain too much ink in which case, the second imprint might be just right.  Finally, you might want to have an end-goal in mind.  What do you plan on doing with this artwork.  If you want to frame it and display it, then you might want to plan ahead and select a piece of paper that will fit standard frame sizes.  On the other hand, we don't always select the size of fish we catch.  In which case, you might to to get a custom frame which could get pricey.  

Folks that are experienced in this art add color to their prints and make them look incredibly lifelike and detailed.  Here is a great website to check out some professional art work:  http://www.gyotaku.com/.  Just keep in mind, this is not what you should expect on your first attempt but don't let that keep you from trying.  As with all projects listed on this blog, this should be FUN.  Don't take it too seriously, but you can always be thinking how to improve your next attempt.  I found out on my first attempt that bass make great subjects but trout seem to be lacking the right scale size for me at this point.  I would love to see any attempts that you make with this art form so feel free to email me.  I would also be happy to publish any tips or ideas that you run across as well.