Knowing how to safely and
accurately fillet and store you fish after it is caught is a vital step
in the fishing process. It is important to take your time, use a
protective glove, proper fish filleting knife and always watch where you
are cutting to ensure a successful fish cleaning.
Here at Bluffs Landing
Marina, Marina Manager, Roger Viar demonstrates how to carefully fillet
your catch in this step by step process.
Step 1
First cut behind the head
while angling the knife toward the front of the fish. There is a lot of
good flesh on the top side where the fillet extends under the bony plate
of the skull and angling the knife will ensure you don't waste it. Cut
down to the bone and follow the line through to just behind the fins on
the gut cavity
Step 2
Turn the fish and run the
knife just clear of the fins with a slight downward angle. When you feel
the knife is down to the bone reduce the angle and follow the bone until
you come up against the backbone
Step 3
Peel the
filet back and run the knife over the backbone severing the small
lateral fish bones in the process. Stop at this point. Turn the fish
over and repeat the first cut you made behind the fish head on the other
side. Repeat the second cut near the dorsal fin with the knife angled
slightly down. Continue this along the length of the fish.
Step 4
Reverse
the direction of the filleting knife and follow the bones by "feeling
them" with the filet knife until the fishes backbone is reached
Step 5
Peel the
fillet back and cut around the backbone and through the small lateral
bones. Run the fillet knife right through to the skin on the underside
of the fish. Cut over the belly flap either through or over the belly
bones and cut any remaining or attached skin
Step 6
Remove the
first fillet. Flip the fish back to the original side and cut the bones
around the gut cavity. Release the rest of the fillet from the backbone.
Your fish is filleted and ready for skinning and de-boning.
Skinning the Fish Fillet
When
filleting or skinning fish keep the skinning knife clean and wet, this
lubricates the blade and gives a much cleaner cut, more control of the
knife and far less drag on the sides of the blade.
Stop when
you have an inch or two (25 to 50mm) of fillet released. Change your
grip on the fillet to a secure grip on the tab of fish skin you created
with the first cut. Firmly hold the knife still and at a fixed angle.
Wriggle the skin from side to side while pulling backwards on the tab of
fish skin. Continue this motion through the fillet.
De-Boning the Fillet
Gentle
strokes of a knife angled towards the gut cavity will reveal the
position and lay of the fine bones. Follow this line, cutting completely
through, to release the top part of the fillet. The line of fine bones
stops around two thirds of the way down the fillet. At this point put
the knife on the other side of the line of bones and run the knife up
the fillet until the point is well under the bones around the gut
cavity. Separate the two and reinsert the knife at an angle suitable to
cut the flesh from the underside of the gut bones. Keep the knife
following close to the fish bones to recover as much flesh as possible.
The fillet is now de-boned and needs to be washed off with fresh water
and bagged.
Newsletter
.jpg)
%20(Custom).jpg)