? About backing a bow with fish skins

[bjrogg]

Just wondering how to prepare fish skins for backing bows. I'm thinking of using Gar, Pike, Walleye or Carp. My understanding is that I skin, then scrap the skin wash and spread out to dry. I'm wondering if I remove scales and if so when. I thought I saw on you tube to remove scales, but I seem to remember someone posting that if you remove scales you remove color. If someone could answer these questions for me I would very much appreciated it.
Bjrogg

[Pat B]

I always wash skins, fish or snake in warm water with Dawn dish soap before backing a bow. I even wash the back of the bow and rinse with boiling water. You do have to remove the scales. The color in some fish skins is in the scales and some in the skin.

[bjrogg]

Thanks Pat do you scale them and then skin them or do you remove scales later?

[Dances with squirrels]

For carp, I remove the scales, then skin them. I remove the scales with needle nose pliars, by griping a single scale tightly and pulling... kinda pulling against one edge first to get it started and then carefully pull it free. If you just yank it straight, there's a greater chance of ripping the skin. Try some different methods while practicing on scales on parts of the fish you're not gonna use until you get the hang of it.

[BowEd]

Used to be when I smoked carp before filleting it I would run a knife flat against the grain from tail to head and remove the scales at once and just leave the skin to hold the meat together as a platter.Might sound like it won't work but it does.You would have to have some extra skins around to experiment with possibly.I don't remember but that might remove some of the dark fleck dots that give such a nice contrast to fish skins.
I have a grass carp done here that I just went against the grain with scaling like any other fish and it looks fine dried.The colors in the skin are there yet.I'm sure pulling them one at a time works fine though too.

[bjrogg]

That's how I was thinking of doing it Ed but wasn't sure if that would ruin skin. The guys didn't get any last night should get some again though and try some different methods

[PEARL DRUMS]

The pike and walleye skins will be white with no scales, not very good looking. The carp look sweet, but anything over say 18-20" and the scales get so big you don't get a good look on the bow.

[bjrogg]

Thanks Pearl. Do you know about gar? I would guess same as Pike. I think Sturgeon is good but I've never caught one.

[PEARL DRUMS]

Gar and northerns are one in the same, skin wise. Carp are by far our best bet here. I've done a few and they look awesome.

Like Pat said, wash them several times with Dawn. Then layer them between paper towel and cardboard. It will suck more oil out.

[bjrogg]

Thanks Pearl how do you remove scales?

[PEARL DRUMS]

Just like Jeff mentioned, pull them out with pliers.

[bjrogg]

Thanks a bunch

[simson]

I have only used cod fish so far. Didn't remove the scales. After the glue (TB3) has dried, I soaked the rough surface of the skin with thinned TB3 for two times. This made all scales laid down and produced a smooth surface.

[bjrogg]

Thank you Simson I thought I read somewhere on here that someone left scales on.