by Nick Somoski

Created on: July 23, 2009   Last Updated: July 31, 2010

Gutting and scaling a fish isn't a fun thing to do. It involves careful work and concentration. You must look to every detail in hopes of not making a mistake during the process. From my years of fishing, I have stuck to a routine that always works when it comes to gutting and scaling fish.

By following the steps below, you'll have clean, perfectly-trimmed fish filets ready to serve up in no time.

SCALING YOUR FISH

1. Set up a table or stand outside. Doing this outside is the preferred method, as the mess can easily be washed away with a hose. Doing this over the kitchen sink or on the kitchen table could cause a hard-to-clean mess.

2. Grab your fish firmly by the head. Using a butter knife, scrape the scales from the tail to the head, going gently but adding the adequate amount of pressure. Keep going in this direction until all the main scales have been removed from the body.

3. Make sure to get all the scales around the head and fins - these can be the trickiest to remove. Make sure to remove all the scales around the pectoral and dorsal fins, as well as the throat, keeping the same gentle stroking method. You must work the knife gently around these areas.

Once the scaling has been completed, rinse off your fish as thoroughly as possible. Clean the table and once again place down your fish. The next step - gutting.

GUTTING YOUR FISH

1. Get out your filleting knife, which must have a sharp edge. Make sure the fish is lying belly up. Before gutting the body, you should always cut out the fish's anus. You can do so by cutting it out in a triangle shape, which will also make the gutting easier.

2. Now cut from the open vent in the end of the fish upwards to the head, stopping at the base of the gills. Your cut should be in a straight line, through the bony portion between the fins to the base of the lower jaw, or the top of the fins.

3. Grab the fish at the base of the head (the abdominal cavity) and slowly pull it apart. There you will be able to pull the guts out cleanly and without problems. Once removing the guts, you can scrape out the organs with a knife, which will be attached to the vertebrate.

4. Once the guts are out, go ahead and snip the gills. They will be located by the head and should easily come out with the use of a knife. This will allow a slower spoiling rate and fresher taste.

5. Although it isn't necessary, you can remove the head if you'd like. Simply cut off right about where the gills were. Once doing that, clean out the inside of the fish with water only, also washing the skin and outside of the fish. You can then store the fish in plastic bags in the freezer for further use.

I never look forward to gutting the fish, but it is a mandatory thing all fishermen must do before frying them up. By following these simple steps, scaling and gutting fish can be made a whole lot easier.

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