Fish by Bill

Fish by Bill is an Ithaca, New York based taxidermist with a 5-star rating and a name that makes the specialty crystal clear. Ithaca sits at the southern tip of Cayuga Lake in the heart of the Finger Lakes, surrounded by some of the most productive fishing water in New York State. The Cayuga Lake watershed draws serious trout, bass, and salmon anglers year-round, and this shop is positioned to serve that crowd directly. A focused fish taxidermy operation tends to produce better results than a generalist shop because the practitioner has refined their techniques on one category of work.

Fish by Bill concentrates on fish mounts, which covers everything from largemouth bass and smallmouth bass pulled from Cayuga Lake to rainbow trout from the Finger Lakes tributaries and the occasional trophy catfish or walleye. The two main approaches are traditional skin mounts, which use the actual fish's skin, and fiberglass reproductions painted to match reference photos of the original fish. Reproductions are increasingly popular because they allow catch-and-release anglers to memorialize a fish without killing it, and they hold their color better over time. Habitat bases using natural driftwood, rock, and water-effect materials can be added to elevate a standard mount into a full display piece.

Fish by Bill serves anglers throughout the Ithaca area and the broader Finger Lakes region of central New York. Clients come from Trumansburg, Watkins Glen, Cortland, and as far as the Syracuse metro area for specialized fish mounting work. Cayuga Lake and its surrounding streams provide a constant stream of trophy fish worth preserving, making the Ithaca area one of the stronger markets for fish taxidermy in Upstate New York.