Why use an artificial head on trout and salmon?  I’ll explain it as best as I can.  Trout and salmon unlike many fish from our area are cold-water fish.  They have a lot more oils in them than their local warm-water relatives.  Because of this they need to be prepared differently than a regular fish from the area.  If you are using the real head on the mount, once the fish dries, the top of the brain cavity must be cut open.  The brain cavity is filled with an oily like substance that must be removed.  If it is not removed correctly, it will start to decay after a few months and will start to run out of the gills of the fish.  You can imagine what it smells like on your carpet!  Some taxidermists will tell you to freeze dry the fish but this doesn’t solve the problem, it just prolongs it.  If a cold-water fish head is prepared correctly it can last for years with no problems.  Another reason I would rather use an artificial head is the gums of cold-water fish recede a lot while drying because of the oils and it exposes their teeth much more than natural.  If you look at some of the pictures on my website of trout and salmon you’ll notice a difference in the mouth’s between the artificial heads and the real heads.  In my opinion, I would rather use an artificial head on trout and salmon.   But the real head can be used if the customer wants it used.  It just needs to be done correctly to have your mount last for many years.