Description

6 ½”+ Ice Spear Fishing Decoy by Claude “Cloudy” Hoeschen (1926 – 2007), Freeport, Minnesota, circa 1960s – 1970s. When Donald Petersen wrote Folk Art Fish Decoys, a book on Minnesota decoys, in 1996, there was no mention of Claude Hoeschen. But, by 2018, Petersen had obtained some of his decoys and researched the maker, allowing him an article in Hunting & Fishing Collectibles Magazine. By that time, we had also acquired some Hoeschen fish and added to Petersen’s article in later issue. Hoeschen is a fascinating person who was considered a “legendary trapper, hunter and fisherman”. The fish offered here is a classic Hoeschen decoy: the Carving displays carved mouth and gills which tend to feature a “smiling” face, the Pectoral Fins are the same on all his decoys with look of a “jet wing” (here, interestingly, Claude has added additional lead to the fins to further weight the decoy), and the Tail is invariably flush with the bottom. The Strong Original Paint of this fish indicates that Hoeschen’s fish are Dark on Top, Light on Bottom and with a single spot for the eye. Once a Hoeschen fish is handled, a little study will provide the model for any found in the future. No Stand Included. A photo of this fish can be found on pg. 55 of the Sept./Oct. issue of H&FCM. Please examine the photographs as a part of the description. No Stand Included. Thanks. Buyer pays an Additional $9.00 for shipping via USPS Priority Mail or other appropriate shipping. Shipping to the Continental US Only. 30 Day return in as bought condition only if not as described. E-mail with questions. Thank You and Good Luck.