by Rex Trulove

Created on: July 24, 2009   Last Updated: August 02, 2009

Many people find gutting and scaling of a fish to be repulsive. However, it is part of the fishing experience. Not all whole fish need to be scaled, and some don't even need to be gutted, according to the size and kind of fish. Because of this, the emphasis here will be with pan-sized trout, as other fish will be similar if they need to be scaled and gutted.

Note that if the scales are large, the fish will probably be better if you skin it than scaling it.

Also, note that the fresher the fish is, the easier this will be to do, to get good results. Older fish bruise easily, and the flesh won't be as tasty to eat.

Turn the fish upside down and locate the vent or anus. This should be located behind the anal fin on the bottom of the fish, and between this fin and the caudal or tailfin. Make a semi-circular cut to remove the vent. The cut doesn't need to be deep, just enough to remove the vent.

Follow this by inserting the point of the knife into the cut you just made. As close to the belly as possible, while still cutting through the flesh, draw the blade up through the belly of the fish, toward the head. Stop at the point just to the head side of the ventral fins where you should encounter tougher cartilage.

On the underside of the head, put the knife blade through the flesh on one side of the tongue where it indents, with the blade toward the back of the head, put the blade over the tongue and through the other spot just under the jaw on the underside of the tongue where there is an indentation. Draw the knife toward the front of the fish. This should create a slice that separates the tongue and tissue from the jaw.

Grasping the tongue, pull backward toward the tail of the fish, using a steady pressure. This should remove the entrails of the fish along with the gills. Gill fragments may be left behind and should be removed if they are.

This will gut the fish, but the operation isn't complete yet. Opening the body cavity should reveal a large strip running down the inside of the backbone that used to carry blood, and which is still probably filled with blood. Under water, run a thumbnail from the base of the opening toward the head, through this vessel, to remove the blood. Rinse under water.

Next comes the scaling. The scales point toward the rear of the fish, so the idea is to rake toward the head of the fish, against the grain. You can do this using a knife, or you can use a metal scouring pad. This is best done while the fish is in water, to allow the scales to pull free and rinse off.

It is simple to tell which areas still have scales and which don't, just by looking, as you will soon discover. The fish will need to be grasped firmly, however don't use so much pressure that you bruise the flesh. A way to tell if the meat is bruised is that if it is, it will often come away from the bones near the opening in the bottom of the fish. This is also a reason for cleaning and gutting the fish soon after catching it, as the longer it sits, the easier it is to bruise the flesh.

If you are very lucky, it can become tedious to gut and scale a fish because you'll have been lucky in catching them, but it isn't difficult. The more times you do it, the easier and quicker it will become to do. The catching is fun, gutting and scaling the fish isn't very, but the properly cleaned fish is ready for cooking, and that is when the real pleasure begins.

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