DAYTON--Tom Schirm's wood carving of a rainbow trout earned second place in the Trout, Salmon and Char category at the World Fish Carving Championship in Peoria, Ill., in May. It also took first place in the subcategory for rainbow trout. His brown trout carving won third place in the miniature category for freshwater fish, and third place overall in the same category, he said.

This artform seems to be a natural fit for Schirm, who works as a habitat biologist for the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife as part of the local fish management team.

"I just love wildlife of any kind and...