Jim Lucas Taxidermy- Part 1

Link: https://www.facebook.com/Jimlucastaxidermy/

Phone Number: 636-352-6610

Jim Lucas is a pretty incredible guy!  In terms of being a fisherman, he has caught some big, beautiful fish.  As far as taxidermy goes, his work stands out from others and his dedication to his craft is second to none.  While I genuinely mean all of these statements, I am getting a little ahead of myself, so let’s go back and look at all of the events that had to occur in order for Jim and I to meet.

That's Jim holding the fish.  Not there is not some strange twist like a M. Night Shyamalan movie where Jim ends up being a woman at  the end of this story.

If you have followed this blog for the last few months (and if you don’t, thanks for visiting), you might recall the story of my first trip down to the White River in Arkansas.  I was able to stay at Gaston’s White River Resort as well as fish with guide Pete Cobb.  Donald Cranor of Cranor’s Guide Service set me up with Pete and it was by far the best guided fishing trip that I have ever experienced.  This was made possible by a VERY generous Christmas present that my dad gave me in 2015.  He knew that I wanted to fish for trophy brown trout and I had been talking about the White River for a few years.  The old man took care of all the expenses and I could not be more grateful because I caught the fish of a lifetime (at least for me).  It was a 24 inch, 6 pound brown trout and I can still recall every moment of the fight.  It felt like electricity was surging up the line and into the rod and as my dad puts it, I acted like I was going to wet my pants.  Here’s a picture of the Salmo trutta, and yes, I do share this picture any chance I get!  It was that special of a fish!

The object of my affection!

After high fives, a successful release, and a change of pants, it didn’t take long for me to start talking about getting a replica mount made.  It might have even been before the fish swam off as a matter of fact.  Upon returning home, I began the long and arduous task of finding an affordable and qualified taxidermist.  If that last statement sounded a little like an oxymoron, it almost was.  Anyone that has had any experience with taxidermy work knows that it is NOT cheap and that QUALITY mounts are even more expensive.  I have seen some ugly mounts that still carried a lofty price tag.  After many internet searches and suggestions from Facebook users, I realized two things.  The first was that my best bet was staying away from the big companies and that I wanted to go with a guy that was in charge of his own operation.  The second was that I wanted to keep my money and business in Missouri and document the experience.  That eliminated A LOT options!  I considered going with Don Frank out of Smithville.  He is a world champing taxidermist and mounted a 8 pound wiper/hybrid I caught on a fly that I had mounted a few years ago.  He does amazing work, don’t get me wrong, but I wanted to go with someone else in an effort to spread my money around and have a new experience.  That seemed to bring my options to two guys- Walt Fulps and Jim Lucas.  At the time, Walt Fulps was not taking taxidermy orders so that narrowed it down to Jim.  See what I mean when I wrote a lot of events had to take place for Jim and I to meet?!?!

Jim knows how to catch BIG Missouri trout...period!

When I contacted Jim on Facebook Messenger, it took a grand total of about 45 seconds to get back with me.  We talked about the type of fish, size of fish, and cost of the mount but what impressed me most was how fast he was to communicate with me.  He was easy to get a hold of both on the phone and on Messenger and was a genuine, nice guy to connect with.  His price quote was lower than everyone else that I got quotes from and that both excited me and made me nervous at the same time.  However, after checking out some of his work on his Facebook page, I knew that I didn’t have a reason to be nervous about the quality of his work.  On top of everything else, he told me that the turnaround time on my mount would be less than six months!  I couldn’t (and if I’m being honest, didn’t) believe it.  I have waited for nearly a year on other mounts and was amazed at the quick work he was claiming.  I was still nervous to commit to him but I would have been nervous to commit to anyone to be candid with you.  This fish was very special to me and I wanted it to look like it did when I caught it but didn’t have a boatload of money to spend.  Even with my anxiety and second-guessing, I decided to go ahead and pull the trigger with Jim and I could not be happier that I did!

Some of Jim's handy work.

Disclaimer: No, Jim is not paying me to write this and I am not (nor have not) received/receiving any compensation for this post.  This post was all my idea and Jim graciously agreed to it.  I am writing this out of a deep appreciation for the amazing work that Jim did for me and a small way that I can show my respect for his efforts. 

After giving the green light to Jim to start working on my mount, I tried not to think about it anymore.  I have learned that you don’t but a taxidermist incessantly with inquiries about when your mount is going to be done.  In my opinion, taxidermists are artists in every sense of the word.  They are either trying to bring something that is dead back to life (like a deer shoulder mount or fish skin mount) or take a blank canvas and turn it into something that looks like it could swim off the wall (like a replica mount).  I don’t think anyone asked Michaelangelo when the Sistine Chapel was going to get done and I hope that Mona Lisa never said “Hurry up!” to the fella was painting her portrait.  While I cannot remember that dude’s name, I can tell you that my favorite artist is now, Mr. Jim Lucas!

More of Jim's work.

I got a call from Jim in late June that my mount was almost complete and that he wanted me to look it over prior to completion.  He sent me some pictures and said that if there were any changes that I wanted him to make, that now was the time to speak up.  He told me that the final coat of gloss or sealer or whatever he called it was about to be applied and that once it was on the fish, then nothing could be changed.  Hello Mr. Thoughtful!  This was an unexpected and greatly appreciated gesture that assured me that I had chosen the right guy for this job!  The pictures looked great and actually sent me running to my picture of the fish because I had forgotten that it was so unique and pretty.  I gave him the go-ahead to finish up the mount but had a little bad news.  I told him that my wife and I were headed to Las Vegas to celebrate our ten year wedding anniversary and that I would have to pick it up when I returned.  To call this situation one of anguish would be a gross understatement.

Upon returning from Vegas, I realized that I am headed east later in July for a smallmouth fishing trip.  With that in mind, it took a grand total of two days for me to get my rear in my truck and headed east to his shop which is located just west of St. Louis.  I was NOT about to wait three weeks to get the desire of my affection as well as memento to an unforgettable occasion.  When I embarrassingly arrived at our rendezvous point thirty minutes early, well I guess my boyish enthusiasm got the better of me.  Jim must have noticed my excitement because he walked me right toward my mount.  He should have given me a tissue as well because I might have had something in my eye or minor allergy attack. 

My completed mount..  Utter perfection if you ask me.

I couldn’t believe how an inanimate object transported me back in time to a moment that I shared on the White River with my dad.  It was more than beautiful.  It was better than amazing.  It was, and I don’t use this term lightly…perfect.  After I picked my jaw up off the floor, Jim and I were able to sit down and talk for a while.  The next two hours flew by like minutes and I got to know a little more about Jim the taxidermist and fisherman.  More to come tomorrow.

Link: https://www.facebook.com/Jimlucastaxidermy/

Phone Number: 636-352-6610