MINT SUPERB c1985 MARCEL MELOCHE 4-1/2\" RAINBOW TROUT Spear FISH DECOY Wood Lure

$MINT SUPERB c1985 MARCEL MELOCHE 4-1/2\$

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MINT SUPERB c1985 MARCEL MELOCHE 4-1/2\" RAINBOW TROUT Spear FISH DECOY Wood Lure:
$280.00

MARCEL MELOCHE; ONTARIO, CANADA\'S MULTIPLE WORLD CHAMPION FISH DECOY CARVER!!

\"Marcel No Longer Carves So His Outstanding Fish Decoys Are Becoming More & More Scarce and Hard to Come By!!!!\" (photo of Marcel & just a grouping of his fish and many, many awards & ribbons)

(30-Years Old) INCREDIBLY LIFE-LIKE!! ONLY ONE THAT EXISTS! Pristine Mint; 4-1/2\" c1985 \"MARCEL MELOCHE\"; \"Rainbow Trout or Steelhead\" WOOD ICE FISHING SERVICE/WORKING DECOY; Marked \"MEM\"; Cochrane, Ontario, Canada

PERFECT SPEARING DECOY SIZE; 4-1/2\" long x 2-1/8\" wide x 1-1/2\" tall and weighs a respectable 1-ounce exactly!!

AWESOME TOURNAMENT SERVICE/WORKING DECOY READY TO SPEAR WITH But You Wouldn\'t with this World Champion Carved Fish Decoy!! IT LOOKS LIKE a REAL RAINBOW TROUT FINGERLING or JUVENILE!!

PERFECTLY WEIGHTED; PERFECT SWIMMING, READY TO FISH; TOURNAMENT WINNING FISH DECOY!!!

Hand Made by Well Renowned and World Famous Championship Ontario, Canada Carver MARCEL MELOCHE;
Taxidermist Grade Yellow Glass Fish Eyes, Nickel Fins & Wood Tail; PERFECTLY LEAD POURED & WEIGHTED
Scarce, One-Of-A-Kind Marcel Meloche \"Rainbow Tout\"!
Every Single Mouth and Gill Feature is Carved In!!

CARVED IN INITIALS: \"MEM\" (Marcel E. Meloche)

ABSOLUTELY AWESOME METALLIC/IRIDESCENT PAINT HIGHLIGHTS!!

Metallic/Iridescent \"Silver\", Metallic/Iridescent \"Pink\", \"Pearl\" -and- Metallic/Iridescent \"Gun-Metal Aqua\"

This is an Awesome and Wonderfully Realistic, Adequately Weighted, Anatomically-perfectly-Formed, Pike or Muskie Ice Fish Spearing decoy. This outstanding \"Rainbow Trout\" or \"Steelhead\" Fish Decoy was hand carved and painted by Ontario, Canada\'s renowned decoy master carver and World Champion Marcel Meloche of Cochrane, Ontario, a town located in the north central reaches of Ontario, about 240 miles NNE of Ste. Sault Marie, Michigan in Michigan\'s Upper Peninsula and 70 miles west of the border with Quebec, Canada. Cochrane is also located east of Kapuskasing, northeast of Timmins, south of Moosonee, and north of Iroquois Falls. It is about a one-hour drive from Timmins, the major city of the region. The town\'s population is made up of approximately half anglophone and half francophone residents.

Marcel Meloche is highly regarded as one of the best working and contemporary fish carvers Of All Time and won his 3rd World Championship at the 2005 Texas World Carving Championships with a Trout with a Lamprey on its back.

MARCEL & ONE OF HIS CHAMPION FISH & ITS AWARDS!!

MARCEL\'S 2005 WORLD CHAMPION FISH; A TROUT WITH A LAMPREY WOUND NEAR THE OF MARCEL\'S CHAMPION FISH CARVINGS & ITS AWARDS!!

Marcel Meloche is one of the most popular and well known fish decoy carvers in the world. His work is exceptional in every aspect and the performance of his decoys is second to none. Marcel worked with white cedar and western red cedar for the bodies because of the stability, rot resistance and buoyancy. He used galvanized steel and copper for the fins for strength and rust proof abilities. Marcel not only made world championship Working Fish Decoys, but also Fancy and Decorative fish decoys, duck decoys and some other carvings. He also made replica fish carvings. With his 30 plus years of carvings dating back to 1977, Marcel excelled in mastering the art/craft of fish decoy carving. He was not the first in his family line to carve. Marcel\'s first pike speared under the ice was at the age of six under the guidance of his father (Lloyd Meloche). He speared it with a home-made spear made by his Grandfather (Eugene Meloche) and a 5\" perch decoy made by his father. There is a long tradition in his family; on his father\'s side (the Meloche\'s) and his mother\'s side (the Latromboise\'s) had been making their own decoys and spears for generations. Marcel estimates that for a couple hundred years his family has been making fish decoys and spears and to him it was only natural that he followed in those same footsteps with the tradition of carving. Marcel burned his initials MEM on the belly of the wood of the decoys, and on some he would even carve a Number that designated how well he thought the fish swam. If a fish was designated a No. 3, it meant it was a good swimmer with No. 1 being excellent and No. 5 being a fair swimmer. He also on occasion would date his decoys with that the year he made it. Some of Marcel\'s world famous contemporaries are the incredible Sonny Bashore, Kevin Renner, Harley Ragan, Andrew Gardner and Scott Morrison.

Tim Spreck wrote an article on Marcel Meloche in Hunting and Fishing Collectibles magazine. The following is an except: One of the most fascinating items of interest that Marcel told me about his family is that Chief Pontiac of the Ottawa tribe may have taught his great, g,g,g,g, grandfather how to spear under the ice, because he has written proof that they were very good friends; even to the point that when Chief Pontiac was laying siege against Detroit and the rest of the forts, he (Pontiac) had used the family farm and cabin as their headquarters. Marcel had carved a plethora fish decoys and he still finds that there is always something to learn about fish decoys and he always is trying to make them better.

His effective spearing decoys are all wonderfully carved, brightly colored, astoundingly realistic, have perfectly mounted taxidermist quality glass eyes and heavily weighted. Not only are they known for their aesthetic qualities, but also for their ability to bring big fish like pike into a spearing hole for their last meal. This awesome, and scarce, one-of-a-kind Rainbow Trout was one of Marcel\'s Tournament Caliber Fish and it measures a wonderfully formed 4-1/2 long x 2-1/8\" wide x 1-1/2 tall and weighs a perfectly balanced 1-oz. exactly; which includes the perfectly poured in and more than adequately weighted lead ballast weight in the bottom. The decoy has all nickel or treated steel fins which are perfectly cut into the shape of a Rainbow Trout and it even has a perfectly formed and located adipose fin on the top rear near the tail section. The pectoral and pelvic fins are perfectly located and aimed to give this decoy the perfect balance and enable the fish to swim forward when the tie-line is pulled upwards. At the same time, the curved tail on this decoy turns the fish to the left, thus the decoy thrusts forward and circles to the left. It is so well balanced that when you then give the line slack the decoy gracefully dives back down circling to the left again and awaits the fisherman to repeat the cycle. In addition to the curved tail, Mr. Meloche bent the dorsal fin ever so slightly in the same direction to help the decoy negotiate the left hand turns more precisely. The wood tail has all of the fins veins perfectly carved in and on the 6 fins they are so perfectly painted on the fins look like photographs of an actual fish. Actually the entire fish is so realistic it looks more like a live fish than any taxidermed juvenile Rainbow Trout you will ever see, as this carving did not have to deal with the drying and abnormalities that living tissue goes through when it dies. Every single feature of the mouth and gills is carved in and you will not see fine detailing like on this decoy all that often in a carved fish decoy. The gills, gill covers, mouth and eye sockets are perfect and also look real. I photographed this decoy with a flash so you could see the iridescent or metallic paint glitter and shine like a real fish.

GREAT PHOTO of a MARCEL MELOCHE RAINBOW TROUT with a BROOK TROUT & BROWN TROUT SET OF MATES!! (The 3 Decoys Were Clearly Carved and Painted at the Same Time!!!)

From different angles and in the different lights you can see the wonderful color variations and layers of paint that Mr. Meloche used including iridescent or metallic silver, green/blue, pink and pearl that make the finish jump of the fish and give it an extra dimension of hues and tones. This fish is pristine and mint and looks awesome and shows awesome with the vivid and deep colors. You certainly would never actually use this championship fish where it was intended, but it certainly would be quite a sight as I\'m sure huge pike would be easily fooled. Also, again you most likely would never use this fish decoy but the fins could be slightly bent to attain any swimming arc, angle or pattern you desired from tight diving circles to long sweeping ascending swimming arcs. The wood carving is astoundingly realistic for a juvenile or fingerling rainbow trout including the mouth, eyes, tail, gill placement, perfect and realistic hand paint job including all of the specks, spots and colorations including the perfect anatomical locations of its fins, even down to the relative size of the length of the fish. The excellent yellow glass fish eyes are carved in and mounted perfectly. The line tie is located perfectly which gives it outstanding swimming balance to give it perfect swimming angles and the outstanding performance required of an outstanding spearing decoy. The very inviting and bright colors not only are perfect for a Rainbow Trout but can be seen from an incredible distance by pike or other predator fish on the hunt. This fish also has his personal carved in Initials MEM (Marcel E. Meloche). The body of this decoy was carved from one piece of wood including the tail and is still as solid and intact as the day it was. It is in outstanding MINT condition. The decoy is carved and painted perfectly symmetrical including the added fins and is perfectly weighted and balanced. This decoy is in excellent Mint condition and truly is a great spearing decoy by Multiple World Fish Carving Champion Marcel Meloche. THIS DECOY IS SO REALISTIC IT LOOKS LIKE A REAL FISH EVEN WHEN YOU ARE HOLDING IT IN YOUR HANDS. Excellent addition to your collection of gorgeous Ice Fishing Spearing Decoys. If you have any questions or would like an additional photo feel free to email me.

PHOTO SECTION PICTURES: THE FIRST 19 PHOTOS ARE OF THIS MARCEL MELOCHE RAINBOW TROUT FISH DECOY UP FOR sale. THE NEXT 2 PICTURES ARE OF TROUT CARVED AT THE SAME TIME!!) (The Last 5 Photos are of other Awesome Meloche Fish)

MARCEL EXCELLENT BOOK THAT CLEARLY DETAILS HOW TO MAKE A GREAT WORKING FISH DECOY FROM START TO FINISH!!

AWESOME, AWARD WINNING CARVING BY MARCEL IN 1984 WITH INCREDIBLE DETAIL OF A SMALL-MOUTH BASS AND 2 FRANTIC SPOT-TAIL MINNOWS MANEUVERING FOR THEIR LIVES!!!

A CLOSE-UP OF ONE OF THE MINNOWS WITH ITS TAIL IN THE SMALLMOUTH\'S MOUTH AND ANOTHER ESCAPING IN SHALLOWER WATER!!

A BRIEF HISTORY OF THE FISH DECOY AND SPEARING

Fish are speared in fresh and seawaters all over the globe, but for all practical purposes,
the use of fish effigies to attract game into a fisherman\'s range is limited to North America.
Although there may have been decoy use among ice fishermen in Northeast Asia
in the remote past, the earliest examples are Eskimo with some examples believed
to be more that a thousand years old.

The ancient migration patterns of earliest North Americans suggest a southern, perhaps Great Lakes-area of origin for various details that have been borrowed and adapted from elsewhere to the North. Tribal people frequently borrowed ideas from other places and groups they contacted and may even produce innovations which are borrowed back by the very groups where the original idea originated. Fishing by cutting holes in the ice and using decoys to bring fish within spearing distance was totally unknown to the rest of the world, and was adopted by Americans in the Upper Midwest who learned the technique from indigenous fishermen in the early 19th Century.

European and colonial travelers learned of the use of decoys as tools for fishing through the ice and are many stories of early encounters. The following comes from the journals of fur trader Alexander Henry at Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario around 1762.

\"The Commandant and all the rest lived in one small house subsisting only by hunting and fishing. The woods afforded us some hares and partridges and we took large trout with the spear. In order to spear the trout under the ice, holes being first cut of two yards in circumference, cabins of about two feet in height built over them of small branches of trees and these further covered with skins so as to wholly exclude the light. The design and result of this contrivance is to render it practicable to discern objects in the water at a very considerable depth, for the reflection of the light from the water gives… (the ice) an opaque appearance and hides all objects from the eye at a small distance beneath its surface. A spearhead of iron is fastened on a pole of about ten feet in length. This instrument is lowered into the water and the fisherman, lying upon his belly with his head under the cabin. He then lets down a figure of a fish carved in wood and filled with lead. Round the middle of the fish-effigy is tied a small pack-thread; when at the depth of ten fathoms, where it is intended to be employed, it is made, by drawing the string and by the simultaneous pressure of the water, to move forward after the manner of a real fish. Trout and other large fish, deceived by its resemblance, spring forward to seize it: but by a dexterous jerking of the string, it is instantly taken from their reach. The decoy is now drawn near to the surface and the fish takes some time to renew the attack, during which time, the spear is raised and held conveniently for striking. On the return of the fish, the spear is plunged into its back and, the spear being barbed, is drawn out of the water.\"

With the exception of the language, this could be a description of Ice fishing Indian style, circa 2012. Although there are variations on the details, with branch enclosure being replaced by Nylon tents, the variations do not obscure the fact that the use of fish decoys represent a venerable aspect of an ancient method of fishing. Around the Great Lakes and in upstate New York, a lively ice fishing culture was in place by the second half of the 19th century. The scene was so active and so disturbing to some parties that ice fishing was outlawed for everyone except certain Native Americans on their reservations in 1910. The beginning of the Great Depression saw the end to this prohibition as economic conditions created a need for new ways of creating income and securing food. Ice spearfishing was resurrected into a major enterprise for both sport and sustenance, with carvers and fish decoy users active on the lakes and rivers of Michigan, Wisconsin, Minnesota & New York. The decoys produced during the depression ranged from Native American designs in unpainted native woods to idiosyncratic Americanized forms in woods and other materials which were brightly colored and lavishly decorated. As the popularity of the sport grew, the demand for ice-fishing decoys far outstripped the supply and many decoys were were manufactured by factories which sprang up to supply the angler\'s needs. These mass-produced decoys, many of which are spectacularly carved and painted, are now included within the collector\'s purview. The finely executed fish decoys collected today are painted in a style resonant of Northern European folk techniques. Contemporary carver-fishermen utilize these stylistic variations that were learned from descendants of the settlers they originally taught to fish with decoys. Many of these artists were sportsmen whose decoys were for personal use, but their \"fish\" are so beautiful, it\'s easy to lose sight of the fact that their creations were utilitarian in purpose. The whimsical little fish were carved to feed their families and their creations helped many a family survive the long Great Lakes winters.

ABOUT RAINBOW TROUT or STEELHEAD

The rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) is a species of salmonid native to cold-water tributaries of the Pacific Ocean in Asia and North America. The steelhead (sometimes \"steelhead trout\") is an anadromous (sea-run) form of the coastal rainbow trout (O. m. irideus) or Columbia River redband trout (O. m. gairdneri) that usually returns to fresh water to spawn after living two to three years in the ocean. Freshwater forms that have been introduced into the Great Lakes and migrate into tributaries to spawn are also called steelhead.

Adult freshwater stream rainbow trout average between 1 and 5 lb (0.5 and 2.3 kg), while lake-dwelling and anadromous forms may reach 20 lb (9.1 kg). Coloration varies widely based on subspecie, forms and habitat. Adult fish are distinguished by a broad reddish stripe along the lateral line, from gills to the tail, which is most vivid in breeding males.

Wild-caught and hatchery-reared forms of this species have been transplanted and introduced for food or sport in at least 45 countries and every continent except Antarctica. Introductions to locations outside their native range in the United States (U.S.), Southern Europe, Australia and South America have damaged native fish species. Introduced populations may impact native species by preying on them, out-competing them, transmitting contagious diseases (such as whirling disease), or hybridizing with closely related species and subspecies, thus reducing genetic purity. Other introductions into waters previously devoid of any fish species or with severely depleted stocks of native fish have created world-class sport fisheries such as the Great Lakes and Wyoming\'s Firehole River.

Some local populations of specific subspecies, or in the case of steelhead, distinct population segments, are listed as either threatened or endangered under the Endangered Species Act. The steelhead is the official state fish of Washington.

MINT SUPERB c1985 MARCEL MELOCHE 4-1/2\" RAINBOW TROUT Spear FISH DECOY Wood Lure:
$280.00

MINT SUPERB c1985 MARCEL MELOCHE 4-1/2\" RAINBOW TROUT Spear FISH DECOY Wood Lure

MINT SUPERB c1985 MARCEL MELOCHE 4-1/2\" RAINBOW TROUT Spear FISH DECOY Wood Lure: $280.00

MINT SUPERB c1985 MARCEL MELOCHE 4-1/2\" RAINBOW TROUT Spear FISH DECOY Wood Lure: $280.00

MINT SUPERB c1985 MARCEL MELOCHE 4-1/2\" RAINBOW TROUT Spear FISH DECOY Wood Lure:
$280.00

MINT SUPERB c1985 MARCEL MELOCHE 4-1/2\" RAINBOW TROUT Spear FISH DECOY Wood Lure:
$280.00