Carving Fish Decoys

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 collectibles 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.