How To Fillet Fish

[Guest CJS2]

Hi all

 

CJS in reply it was you who got the facts wrong in the first place, you stated i was using a four hour old cod, it was still flapping half an hour before i filletted it. I would not attempt to fillett a cod four hours old, cod left with there guts in tend to go slightly soft, and they do not cook properly, it would be my preference to gut it and leave it over night for the meat to firm. Another thing that happens if you do not bleed a fish either by gutting or slitting its throat is that the blood can seep into the meat and badly discolour it.

 

Now we are not going get into round and round type tiff mate, however, I actually said "un gutted fish sitting there for hours ??? ". Now when I went to school that was not '4= four' but 'for', nothing to do with '4 hours'. In my post, I was posing a question, you have answered my question, 'why the sooner the better' thank you.

 

As I said I was not running the video down, one was actually agreeing with the outcome, posing an option with bigger fish, and asking the question, the answer of which is helpful.

 

Another question; on the bigger cod, doubles? do you still fillet the same way, take more or all of the belly flap???

 

Its so easy to get into a spin, over nothing

 

CJS2

Edited October 28, 2006 by CJS2

[Guest CJS2]

The point has been missed by some of the so called "experts" on the merits of fish filleting. It was'nt aimed at those who are proficient with a knife , it was aimed at those who either make a hash of it or don't quite know what to do with their catch and to those to whom it was intended it is a good instructional video so why the need to give the guy a hard time?

 

Now, just to put things straight, please read my preceding, post. A confusion over the words 'for' and 'four' caused Hairy beast to get a little muddled. I was posing a question, note the ???'s at the end of the sentence.

 

'Hairy beast' has answered the question, and I also agreed, belly flesh is not worth the time on small codling, if thats not agreeing with the video???? So please get off my case and stop giving me a hard time

 

I need to go lie down in a dark room . . . get rid of one lot and replace them with another, thank god I'm fishing tomorrow

 

CJS2

Edited October 28, 2006 by CJS2

[hairy beast]

Now, just to put things straight, please read my preceding, post. A confusion over the words 'for' and 'four' caused Hairy beast to get a little muddled. I was posing a question, note the ???'s at the end of the sentence.

 

'Hairy beast' has answered the question, and I also agreed, belly flesh is not worth the time on small codling, if thats not agreeing with the video???? So please get off my case and stop giving me a hard time

 

I need to go lie down in a dark room . . . get rid of one lot and replace them with another, thank god I'm fishing tomorrow

 

CJS2

Hi CJS2

lets stop the bickering getting a bit boring mate. its the age you know you get a litle confused when reading posts, especially when so many e mails, pms etc flying in as well, mainly thankyou ones from those who have difficulty in filleting, but sadly frightened to post.

 

As for filletting i now generally fillett all my fish regardless of size, the same way, that is round fish including ling (which i also skin and bone, hopefully i will get a ling and hopefully do another vid) , i leave the belly flap on, wether they are gutted or not, and later if sufficient meat on them i will either freeze them or if enough will make into fish cakes straight away. Only round fish i take the belly off is with mackerel as you can see from the video, i then remove the belly flap, which make excellent bait size pieces and can easilly be frozen. I mainly skin and bone all my fish now because my grandchildren love fish and i would hate for one of them to get a bone stuck in a wee throat. Many think that by doing this it causes a lot of waste, i can assure you this is not the case.

[hairy beast]

At least through this thread I've found out who "hairy beast" is.

 

The point has been missed by some of the so called "experts" on the merits of fish filleting. It was'nt aimed at those who are proficient with a knife , it was aimed at those who either make a hash of it or don't quite know what to do with their catch and to those to whom it was intended it is a good instructional video so why the need to give the guy a hard time?

 

Just in case anyones wondering I'm not at all bad with a fish knife and I can confirm that when showing someone how to fillet and going slowly you can come across as a bit cack handed but when done at speed the filleting action is smooth and quick

 

cheers Brian that is exactly who the vid was meant for. I see my secrets out, the name "hairy beast" was bestowed upon me by one of the north easts top anglers many, many years ago. Mind my hair and beard where a lot longer then. Aound xmas time the kids called me santa which i didnt mind. But when the grandchildren where watching the tele, both in different houses, and a picture of Saddam Hussien came up just after his capture they both shouted, GRAMPS is on the tele. I was not amused

[Guest CJS2]

Hi CJS2

lets stop the bickering getting a bit boring mate. its the age you know you get a litle confused when reading posts, especially when so many e mails, pms etc flying in as well, mainly thankyou ones from those who have difficulty in filleting, but sadly frightened to post.

 

As for filletting i now generally fillett all my fish regardless of size, the same way, that is round fish including ling (which i also skin and bone, hopefully i will get a ling and hopefully do another vid) , i leave the belly flap on, wether they are gutted or not, and later if sufficient meat on them i will either freeze them or if enough will make into fish cakes straight away. Only round fish i take the belly off is with mackerel as you can see from the video, i then remove the belly flap, which make excellent bait size pieces and can easilly be frozen. I mainly skin and bone all my fish now because my grandchildren love fish and i would hate for one of them to get a bone stuck in a wee throat. Many think that by doing this it causes a lot of waste, i can assure you this is not the case.

 

Not a problem mate, have a virtual pint on me, I'v got a can sitting on my table now, Merrydown Cider, the best! I can say the thread has given me an angle to look at after 20 years,

 

thanks, Cliff

Edited October 28, 2006 by CJS2

[Neil]

Great Video Alan, 10 out of 10.

 

 

 

 

 

 

. If anybody has a spare spurdog you could pop it in the post, they are easy to prepare and taste great.

 

 

If you do get one, don't film the prep. If you think the flack was bad for the coddy vid......

 

Neil.

Edited October 28, 2006 by Neil

[hairy beast]

Great Video Alan, 10 out of 10.

 

If you do get one, don't film the prep. If you think the flack was bad for the coddy vid......

 

Neil.

 

cheers CJS2 hic

 

Neil dont worry i can take any flack sent my way. At least they know now that as well as taking it i can give it, but dont think it will happen again. But nice of you to care. Would be nice to see or even hear how others prep their fish, we can all learn from each other, we all do everything differently.

[Snatcher]

Good idea. Seen Alan for the first time on the morning of the Fladden open this summer at Frasers in Whitley Bay. Tack4,mistack4 and little tack4 were just collecting their "free" rods

 

By the way he fillets better than me

But most folk do

[Guest challenge]

I think that this has been a great thread (besides the bickering) in regards to the debate on the best ways to keep your fish.

I am amazed that there is not more mentioned about it in fishing magazines etc.

We are fortunate that we have fish washing facilities a filleting table and a chiller to put our product in within minutes of it being caught.

I would like to know how others keep there catch in the hot periods of summer?

Do you all fillet at sea? I often see big cod and his boats on the other side of the river from us filleting when they get in.

How long do you think fish can keep before it needs to be cleaned and filleted?

I know that years ago anglers would take fish home whole (sometimes for a hundred odd miles) in plastic bags.

Thank god for the cool box.

We have a deep freeze on board where the lads put there ice cubes or make ice ready for the journey home.

Out the chiller and into the cool box with ice. It seams to work.

Any other suggestions would be much appreciated.

Regards.

[big_cod]

I think that this has been a great thread (besides the bickering) in regards to the debate on the best ways to keep your fish.

I am amazed that there is not more mentioned about it in fishing magazines etc.

We are fortunate that we have fish washing facilities a filleting table and a chiller to put our product in within minutes of it being caught.

I would like to know how others keep there catch in the hot periods of summer?

Do you all fillet at sea? I often see big cod and his boats on the other side of the river from us filleting when they get in.

How long do you think fish can keep before it needs to be cleaned and filleted?

I know that years ago anglers would take fish home whole (sometimes for a hundred odd miles) in plastic bags.

Thank god for the cool box.

We have a deep freeze on board where the lads put there ice cubes or make ice ready for the journey home.

Out the chiller and into the cool box with ice. It seams to work.

Any other suggestions would be much appreciated.

Regards.

 

We try to gut and wash the fish as soon as possible when the fish first comes aboard during the summer months, winter it doesnt mater so much,lads often fillet on the way in if sea conditions are ok if i think its not suitable they must stop to save there finger ends, once we are in the harbour the lads can fillet if they wish we have an agreement at the local pub at the end of the pontoon as he has a large ice making machine in the celler he has offered to give lads ice anytime if they need it for there cool boxes till they get home which is very kind of him .

If any of the lads arent brilliant filleters and they ask me nicely i will fillet there fish for them and give them a lesson on filleting which is what a lot of the lads need to get them started show them the right way and soon they usually get the knack.