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How To Fillet Fish


Elton

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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, :yucky: 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.

I am all for anglers filleting there own fish if they so whish.

I know that it would be one of the first things I would learn to do if I was just taking up the sport and wanted to keep a few for the table.

Still everyone to them selves I guess. It’s just a shame that so much fish must get ruined just for the sake of a bit of no how and a bit of time taken to look after your fish.

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I am all for anglers filleting there own fish if they so whish.

I know that it would be one of the first things I would learn to do if I was just taking up the sport and wanted to keep a few for the table.

Still everyone to them selves I guess. It’s just a shame that so much fish must get ruined just for the sake of a bit of no how and a bit of time taken to look after your fish.

 

Obvioulsy the equipment chieftan has or her and someone like challenge willing to gut the fish for the lads is ideal, especially on her long trips. i ahve found fish kept cold, and i mean will last a suprisingly long time. Just think how far trawlers used to go for days on end and only have ice to cover the fish with. Obviously a freezer is not available to all, so i will share what i do with others. Not doubt we have all learned a harsh lesson early in our fishing life, especially at sea when you wanted to show your prize catch off and kept it hole lying in the sun with its guts in, the flesh gradually getting softer and softer and when you got it back home your beautiful coloured cod or ling was now a colourless well lined fish not worthy of taking a photo of (thank goodness for digies) How have i learned to prevent this over the years. When out in my own boat if the fishing was good i always made a frequent pit stop and gutted the fish i had caught keeping them in a nice box, and very often washing them down with cold water. Even tepid water will start to cook fish. If only a few fish being caught they would be gutted and filletted, filletts c given a good wash and put into a cool box with freezer elements in. Some anglers use baskets but piling fish on top of each other the ones on the bottom get mashed to pulp. After the days fishing, if fish not filletted because the fishing was too good (not very poften) got them home asap, into trays in the fridges in the garage and left over night to stiffen and fillett the next day. When on a charter boat trip any fish caught was gutted, put in a fish box, given a good soaking and covered over with a damp towel, and constantly slushed down with fresh water. During a change of marks the fish would be filletted (i hasten to add a damn site quicker than i did it in the video) washed and put in a cool box with frezer elements. I ahve seen some of the lads i fished with simply fillett their fish and put the fillets in a bucket/cool box of sea water which also seems to keep the flesh fresh. This method keeps ungutted fish relatively fresh as well, as when i have been summoned to take photos of decent fish caught on the boats this is how they keep them. Absolutely no no's are keeping fish in unchanged water and lying around in the sunlight. no doubt others will have diffferent ways.

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I usually gut my fish straight away on the beach unless I think there may be a roe in them, then I'll do it carefully at home 'cos I love the roe as much as the fillet. I'm lucky I only live a few mins from the sea anyway so I find the guts/blood aren't in them long enough to taint the flesh.

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Sorry hairy beast. I have to apologise for my very unconstructive earlier comment! I watched the video on a computer with no soundcard and missed the commentary, especially the bit where you say you are preparing fish for kids. Having now watched the full video, with sound, I agree with the others who say you should be applauded for making the effort to try and help others.

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CHALLENGE..YOU DO THIS FILLET JOB FOR A LIVING..AND GOOD LUCK TO YOU..sorry for caps...has anybody been on Chieftian....Challenge charges for this service's and it's top knotch..so it extra to the trip and very good value...and this afternoon I went on Chieftain site and it look's like they are not putting up there cost's per trip/person for the 2007 season....no pay rise for CHALLENGE..Cheers Codmaster

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Sorry hairy beast. I have to apologise for my very unconstructive earlier comment! I watched the video on a computer with no soundcard and missed the commentary, especially the bit where you say you are preparing fish for kids. Having now watched the full video, with sound, I agree with the others who say you should be applauded for making the effort to try and help others.

 

na sweat colinw, we all jump the gun at times, at least you are man enough to admit your mistake. Vid was only to show novices really with a bit extra to show what i did for the kids, i dont really fillett at that speed, it was hard to slow down and there where other pitfalls, if i get time i will give a little insight which might help others if they are thinking of doing a vid, and maybe if somebody already has done one, can give some tips as well, as this was my first attempt, other than home vids, which are no hastle. Chappers it was really only a couple on this site that made deregatory remarks and as colinw has said his where by error. Most of the comments i got back via e mail and pms where positive, sadly they where at bit detered from posting. All in the past now anyway.

 

When i posted earlier about looking after fish i did not say anything about shore angling. It has always been my preference when plaesure fishing to gut the fish asap and keep them cool, quite easy really when most of my shore fishing was done in winter. I also kept the fish in a string or hessian bag which could be dipped into the sea quite often. And normaly as returning late at night they here put in a fridge over night and filletted next day. Bit different when fishing a comp when you had to bring the fish back whole. Found again keeping the fish in a hessian bag/string nag and dipping them in sea water kept them quite fresh. But not looking after your fish properly can cause embarrassment, i remember once when i was doing a weigh in a lad plonked three or four fish on the scales which to me looked a bit iffy and i asked him where he caught them. He got a bit upset as apparently in the area he fished he is quite well known, i didnt know him from Adam. A couple of lads who i knew said they had seen him catch them, so no bother. But apparently instead of knocking them on the head and putting them in his bag with a bit fresh water to keep them fresh. He throw them on the ground, as you see quite offten on piers where anglers remove fish and sling them against a wall, braeking afew blood vessels and tainting the flesh, giving the fish great red blotches all over as if they had been lying around for days.

 

Its quite interesting to see the difference in opinion.

This video is also on WSF, where apart from maybe one comment it gets nothing but praise, whereas on here it just got shot to pieces. Hmmm :rolleyes::rolleyes:

 

Funny that cant remember anybody from that site asking if they could use it, not that i am bothered if it helps other novices. Will have apop over and see whats what.

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Its quite interesting to see the difference in opinion.

This video is also on WSF, where apart from maybe one comment it gets nothing but praise, whereas on here it just got shot to pieces. Hmmm :rolleyes::rolleyes:

 

 

chappers just popped over to world sea fishing, cant see it anywhere, can you point me in the right direction as to where on the site it is. Cheers mate.

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