Carving Traditional Fish Decoys: With Patterns and Instructions for 17 Projects [Paperback]

Anthony Hillman (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 6, 1993

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.

Product Details

• Paperback: 56 pages
• Publisher: Dover Publications (April 6, 1993)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0486275000
• ISBN-13: 978-0486275000
• Product Dimensions: 12.2 x 9.2 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.3 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #393,061 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

16 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Practical Guide for Beginning Fish Carvers, September 26, 2000

By 

L.P. Daigneault (San Antonio, TX USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Carving Traditional Fish Decoys: With Patterns and Instructions for 17 Projects (Paperback)

One must start this review by explaining that fish decoys were used by spear-fishermen, usually under ice, when that sort of fishing was legal.

Today the old lures are collectible and good examples are quite expensive, and occasionally forged and artificially aged.

Anthony Hillman's guide will get you started in the wood-carving game. Fish decoys, because of their size, represent a much easier starting point than the ever-popular duck and goose decoys, but by following Hillman's guidelines, the carver will develop the sort of skill and confidence he or she needs to handle larger projects.

The author provides a concise introduction to the subject, including choice of wood, and the many pages of diagrams of various kinds of fish should prove helpful.

Color charts to help carvers paint their fish would have been useful, but would obviously push up the cost of the book, and this sort of information can be readily obtained from other sources.

It's worth noting that the traditional decoy carvers quite often painted their fish in fanciful colors and patterns that resemble no fish that ever lived. Some of them may even have worked.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars carving traditional fish decoys, February 15, 2009

By 

Rene Poaletti (Buhl, MN) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Carving Traditional Fish Decoys: With Patterns and Instructions for 17 Projects (Paperback)

Excellent pattern book for the beginner. Easy instructions and great selection of patterns to choose from.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Carving Traditional Fish Decoys, January 15, 2007

By 

Theresa Brandon "Theresa" (Cedar Rapids, Iowa) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Carving Traditional Fish Decoys: With Patterns and Instructions for 17 Projects (Paperback)

The book was O.K., but not what I was looking for. Thought it would give some details on painting the finished project. It would have been better if I could preview, before purchasing.