Big fish sculpture may get a second leap

Those of you who are still wondering where the big sculpted wood fish has gone, just be patient, it might soon be back.

You will recall the big blow back in July 2012, when one of the region’s fiercest wind storms toppled a couple of evergreen trees in Mason City Park.

The freak storm became an opportunity to create artwork for the town (now a city) as then-mayor Quincy Snow, himself an artist, convinced the council it would be a great idea to use some hotel/motel money and have someone carve figures on the two remaining stumps.

Snow had seen what artist Jacob Lucas had done on a string of sycamore trees in Bridgeport and contacted the Bonney Lake sculptor to ask him to come to Coulee Dam and do his magic on a couple of large blue spruce trunks.

The work was concluded in October 2012, as a totem-like sculpture emerged on one stump, and the large fish on the other. They attracted considerable attention.

Later, in April 2014, the mayor at that time, Greg Wilder, recognized that the fish foundation was a problem, took the fish down and stored it wrapped in a tarp.

Current Mayor Larry Price said this week that he has become interested in the big fish and plans to bring the subject up to the new council to see what they want to do about it.

“I’ve talked with some of the council and plan to bring it up to the full council,” Price said Monday.

“It all depends on whether there is a condition issue with it since it has been stored outside,” Price added.

The project cost the city about $12,500. Chainsaw artist Lucas said at the time he could see the big chinook salmon in the tree stump and proceeded to free it. His chainsaw worked magic on both stumps, to the delight of many people who came to the park to watch him. A busload of Japanese visitors was also struck with the project and stopped to watch and take pictures.

The fish was eventually supposed to be mounted at an angle, suggesting a leaping salmon. It had been left standing straight up and down, like its parent tree.

Now it’s up to the city council to make a decision on the fate of the fish.