The Wood Carver
Some of Jerry’s decoys are natural with 7 coats of gun stock finish. Others are painted realistically or in bolder colors. Acrylics or oils, the painted decoys are thoroughly over coated with water proof coating. His decoys may be solid pieces of wood with tail and fins all from the same block or he may add metal fins and tails. He uses taxidermy glass eyes or other bits of metal or glass like old shoe buttons, but whatever the medium, the placement of the eye is critical.
“Anything will attract fish,” said Jerry. “They’re curious critters. But attracting them and getting them to come to a decoy directly under your hole so they can be speared are two different things.”
Jerry starts by drawing a fish. Then, he creates a cardboard template, carefully judging the bend of the body and placement of the fins so that the decoy will move realistically in the water. For instance, he may need to carve the decoy for a left hand swim in order to lure the larger fish to the decoy. Many of the tools that Jerry uses in his carving he’s made himself, fashioning a file or an awl or a blade into just the tool he wants. Among the many decoys he’s carved are rainbow trout, sturgeon, arctic char, eel pout, blue gill, and crappie.
Jane encourages Jerry to finish his work even if he becomes frustrated with the piece.
“Sometimes the wood and tools just won’t do what you want,” Jerry said. “One decoy I was fed up with and told Jane I was going to make her a spatula out of it. But she kept encouraging me to finish it and I did. I took it to a show and Tom Winters, a noted carver, bought it. You just never know.”
After the decoy is carved, a cavity is drilled into the wood. This takes much thought and precision because molten lead is poured into the cavity and will make the decoy “sink or swim”, so to speak. If the weight isn’t correct, the movement will be wrong and the decoy may be relegated to pretty, but not usable. As said before, all of Jerry’s decoys are made to be used, a critical element in the decoy shows where Jerry has taken home ribbons.
At a show, like the Great Lakes Fish Decoy Competition in Michigan or the John Jensen’s National Fish Decoy Association contest in Minnesota, the judges put a line on the decoy and drop it in water. It must sink, lay level, and can’t list or tip. When dropped, it should do a left or right turn or swim in a circle. There are many categories and competitions at the shows. A good site to learn about the making, collecting, and showing of fish decoys is http://www.glfda.com, web site of the Great Lakes Fish Decoy Collector’s and Carver’s Association.
Jerry’s decoys have brought home a number of ribbons. At this year’s Marquette County Fair, he entered 7 decoys and received 8 ribbons including best of show in senior woodworking. At the John Jensen National Fish Decoy contest he’s brought home 3rd and 4th place ribbons and received an honorable mention in folk art at the Great Lakes Fish Decoy competition. The competition at these national shows is formidable, with master carvers from around the country and sometimes the world entering their work.
