Step-by-step instructions for carving and painting 17 realistic decoys: brook trout, large-mouth bass, yellow perch, lake sturgeon, muskellunge, coho salmon, more. Profile, top-view and front-view patterns provided. All shown in full-color photographs.

Fish decoys were originally used by Native and Early American ice fisherman to lure food fish within range of their spears. Carved and painted to mimic the appearance and behavior of prey for pike and muskies, the hand-crafted fish decoy has become enshrined in American culture as a treasured form of traditional folk-art. Although the practicality--and sanity--of ice-fishing with spears is up for debate, traditional fish-decoys have seen a recent surge in interest and have become highly sought-after both as collectables and to be used under the ice. If you're someone who appreciates traditional American folk art and you want to learn to carve your own fish decoys, then this is the book for you. Life-long fisherman and decoy-carving instructor James Cottle makes it fun and easy to get started with detailed instructions, contextual information, history lessons, and tips on tools and techniques. This book contains 22 traceable patterns for decoys including trout, perch, bass, suckers, walleye, pike, muskies, sunfish, and walleyes, plus a mouse and a frog. Every step of the process is described clearly, with instructions that will guide you through cutting, carving, weighting, painting, and adding fins and tail to your decoy. Then it's ready to use--on your mantle or under the ice. With full color photographs of finished decoys and tips for developing your own painting style, this is the definitive guide to making your own traditional fish decoys.

This how-to book has carving instructions for model rainbow, brown and brook trout, bluegill, largemouth bass, lionfish and queen angelfish. There are step-by-step instruction on painting rainbow, brook and golden trout, Yellowstone, Rio Grande and Lahontan cutthroats

Detailed instructions and full-size templates for constructing 16 beautiful, marvelously practical decoys according to the time-honored South Jersey method.

With over 500 color photographs, this thorough text introduces the reader to the wide variety of decoys currently available, decoys made earlier in the century by "old time" artists as well as examples of contemporary design. The construction and special attributes of fishing decoys are discussed in detail, information vital to recognising the most collectible decoys. Detailed histories of early twentieth century and contemporary decoy makers of Minnesota and their decoys has been compiled through personal interviews with the makers or their families. Information is also provided on spear makers and the varying designs of their spears, jigging sticks, and decoy boxes. This is a truly valuable reference work.

Four carving projects, the rainbow trout, the bluegill sunfish, the black crappie, and the channel catfish, illustrated with beautiful patterns and drawings, and black-and-white photographs showing the carving techniques in the step-by-step fashion that is so helpful to wood carvers. For the all-important painting steps, color graphics are used with photographs to give the readers an accurate view.

Fish decoys were originally used by Native and Early American ice fishermen to lure food fish within range of their spears. Carved and painted to mimic the appearance and behavior of prey for pike and muskies, the hand-crafted fish decoy has become enshrined in American culture as a treasured form of traditional folk art. Although the practicality --and sanity--of ice fishing with spears is up for debate, traditional fish decoys have been the subject of a recent surge of interest and have become highly sought-after, both as collectables and to be used under the ice. If you're someone who appreciates traditional American folk art and you want to learn to carve your own fish decoys, then this is the book for you. Life-long fisherman and decoy-carving instructor James Cottle makes it fun and easy to get started, with detailed instructions, contextual information, history lessons, and tool tips and techniques. This book contains 22 traceable patterns for decoys including trout, perch, bass, suckers, pike, muskies, sunfish, and walleyes, plus a mouse and a frog. Every step of the process is described clearly, with instructions that will guide you through cutting, carving, weighting, painting, and adding fins and tail to your decoy. Then it's ready to use--on your mantel or underwater. With color photographs of finished decoys and tips for developing your own painting style, this is the definitive guide to making your own traditional fish decoys.