tanning fish skins?

[Button Nubbs]

So I'm building a custom fishing rod with tanned rattle snake skin inlays (turning out really awesome and I will post pics in the fishing forum when completed) and it got me wondering. Is there anyway to tan a fish skin and have it keep its color, keep the scales from falling out, and keep it from getting brittle like a snake skin? I think it would look pretty awesome used the same way as the snake skin I'm using.

Thanks

[Mr Mykiss]

You'd want to put a good amount of clearcoat over it but I imagine that it's possible...

** Carp skin!! That would be sweet, BIG scales!!

[Button Nubbs]

The smaller the scales the better it looks, I think carp scales would be too big. If I could get a leathery type fish skin is just need to put a couple coats of color preserver on it then the standard 2 or 3 coats of finish.

[mrmoskillz]

I've seen sturgeon done before. Belts and wallets.