How To Fillet Fish

[hairy beast]

have a look here mate

http://www.worldseafishing.com/forums/showthread.php?t=42407

 

cheers chappers, had a look and answered some of the points they raised. Not wanting to create another fuss, they did make the same points as raised on here but in a slightly more pleasant manner. Think the problem lay in the fact that most where directed straight to the vids and did not get to read the spiel before it.

[darlick]

I run another site at http://www.nesa.co.uk

 

Alan Charlton is a name that many in the North East will know and he has sent me a video to use on filleting fish. This is a question that often gets asked up there and explaining it in words isn't always that easy. So, for those of you lucky to catch an edible cod or mackerel, here's the clip....

 

http://www.nesa.co.uk/Articles/how_to_fillet_fish.html

Just seen that vid nice enough for your own use but i could not afford to waste that much fish or time could have two or three fish filleted totaly boneless in the same time,and would not leave the motor in for more than a few mins like to get fish cleaned as quick as poss.

No disrespect just would not be any good to me.

But for someone who just had one or two fish to clean after a sesh great.

[Guest challenge]

Just seen that vid nice enough for your own use but i could not afford to waste that much fish or time could have two or three fish filleted totaly boneless in the same time,and would not leave the motor in for more than a few mins like to get fish cleaned as quick as poss.

No disrespect just would not be any good to me.

But for someone who just had one or two fish to clean after a sesh great.

Welcome back from Ireland darlick.

Nipper will be glad. He might even be allowed to go out tonight now your back to look after him?

The video is informative Andy; he is not trying to show you how fast he can fillet but how to help a novice filliter.

Nice to see you brought some good weather back with you.

Catch you tonight.

Regards.

[GB]

I thought the vid of Alan filleting was O.K. I can fillet good enough for my needs but it was still worth watching. Thanks for taking the time in making the vid Alan

 

As for Challenge, I have seen him fillet fish, he is quicker than the human eye and I can vouch for the finished product yumm.

 

I was tought how to prepare fish when I was a kid (still am in my eyes) by a comercial fisherman from Norway, he told me the most important thing to do is properly bleed the fish by cutting one of the gills leave for 2 or 3 mins then clean them asap. Simple.

[darlick]

Welcome back from Ireland darlick.

Nipper will be glad. He might even be allowed to go out tonight now your back to look after him?

The video is informative Andy; he is not trying to show you how fast he can fillet but how to help a novice filliter.

Nice to see you brought some good weather back with you.

Catch you tonight.

Regards.

I know that john like i said ok if you just want a fillet or two for the table nice enough but wastefull no good to us.good for anyone who needs pointing in the right direction.

Yes back home had a good trip not a lot of fishing kids had a ball .

[WALCOTT]

Darlick,if I am right...did you not train Challenge in the filletting job.

[Guest challenge]

Darlick,if I am right...did you not train Challenge in the filletting job.

Graham.

I did not do a lot of filleting before I started working for john and Michele, (I never did it for a living) I only use to fillet what ever I needed for home when I was on the trawlers and what ever I caught when I was angling as a youngster.

Darlick is a great filliter; he has a great method that should be filmed to show you how he does it.

He did not teach me how to fillet graham although he has taught me a lot of other things in regards to fishing.

If you’re filleting for yourself it’s not about how fast you fillet, but more to-do with the added enjoyment you get from catching and preparing for the table.

A man who gets enjoyment from that fillets as good as anyone.

[hairy beast]

Graham.

I did not do a lot of filleting before I started working for john and Michele, (I never did it for a living) I only use to fillet what ever I needed for home when I was on the trawlers and what ever I caught when I was angling as a youngster.

Darlick is a great filliter; he has a great method that should be filmed to show you how he does it.

He did not teach me how to fillet graham although he has taught me a lot of other things in regards to fishing.

If you’re filleting for yourself it’s not about how fast you fillet, but more to-do with the added enjoyment you get from catching and preparing for the table.

A man who gets enjoyment from that fillets as good as anyone.

 

Hi all

the video, why i did it, who it was for and the pitfalls i found doing it which might help others to do one.

 

Firstly i can tell my some of the points raised not only on this site but others you have not read the spiel that went before the video and some have not listened to what i was saying during the commentary. Being self critical the only thing i wish i had done differently is that i should have used a gutted cod, i only gut this way with very fresh fish, before the guts have had a chance to taint the belly flaps. and maybe showed what i do with the belly flaps, although we all have our opinion on there use.

 

Why

simply becuase a few novice anglers posted on sites that they where looking for info on filletting fish. And me being me, thought i would try and help.

 

who it was for

it was certainly not for the experienced filletter, even though i have been filletting fish for around fifty years i would certainly not tell an experienced person how to do it. We all have our own methods which suit ourselves, this was simply a basic guide.

 

Some of the points raised

"I can fillett quicker than that", so can i, and a damm site quicker and fluent, but the vid was not a demonstartion of speed filletting, we have seen challenges vid and it is very impressive to see someone with that skill put a fish on the block and thirty seconds later two filletts and a carcass. An experienced filletter would know what he had done, but a novice would of just gone "bloody hell" what happened

 

Wastage

I can assure you that being a scrooge i remove every scrap of flesh when i fillett, maybe i should have shown the carcass. The belly flaps are removed later for making fish cakes and the carcass is generally boiled for fish stock/soup etc. Some i know just through the lot away.

 

Skinning and boning, as I said in the vid this is for the grandchildren and the parky, dont want young uns choking on fish bones.

 

Now the pitfalls which I hope will help others wanting to make a vid. I thought it would be dead easy, simply put a fish on the block, fillett and bobs your uncle.

 

1st take

fish on block, cut from belly, up past gill rakes and onto top of head, turned knike ran along back bone and top of rib cage, when past belly sac, shuved knife through and carried on and out at tail, turned knife ran along edge of rib cage and removed fillett. Time around ten seconds, if that, being a small fish. Thought great, looked at vid, useless, hand in way, some of the action outside of frame and nobody could see what was done. (Scrapped)

 

2nd take

Had to set up camera (could of done with three) set perimitters for the action, so it was all in frame. then you have to keep the fish in the same position as much as possible and also keep your hands out of the way of the camera. that is why i did it from two angles. Then you have to do in slow motion and make a commentary of what you are doing, of something that you normally do in auto pilot without thinking and wh and listening to rock music. Amazing the sort of trance you go into only awakening when you cant find another fish, especially when i am filletting mackerel as i normally get loads. I actually had to think where i was going to put the knife blade next, without cutting the pinkies off as they where in some funny unfamiliar places. Tell you not easy. And as for slowing down, try it sometime. If somebody can use their experince and do a better one, all well and good for the novice who needs help, or, since we all catch different species, i am basically restricted to cod, ling other round fish and flatties, but if between us we can produce vids of filetting other species from different areas that would be great.

 

Hope this has helped

[darlick]

Darlick,if I am right...did you not train Challenge in the filletting job.

 

I hope not it looked like he kicked the last lot off for me

sorry john but you are right at the end of the day we all have our own way and if you are happy with it great .

It was only a few weeks ago nipper showed me a top way to fillet a place and charles with the makerell we never stop learning.

It does have its downfalls tho a few years back we ran a boat competition out of bay real good days fishing after the way in i started to fillet our catch two boxes of mixed cod and ling and before i new it there was about ten boxes lined up all the rest off the lads on the ale me sat outside upto my arse in fish and to cap it all when i got finished noticed my wedding ring was missing and all the remains of the fish had been dipposited back to the sea one of my mates ended up to hes waist in the sea rakeing around trying to retrive it without success.

About a week later the ring reapeard barman found it in a drain.ar well somethings are ment to be.

[seaside]

...................

Why

simply becuase a few novice anglers posted on sites that they where looking for info on filletting fish. And me being me, thought i would try and help.

 

who it was for

it was certainly not for the experienced filletter, even though i have been filletting fish for around fifty years i would certainly not tell an experienced person how to do it. We all have our own methods which suit ourselves, this was simply a basic guide.

.................

A good guide and it did help - after nearly 30 years fishing, my son has decided he'll try and fillet his own rather than get me to do it --- couldn't ask for better value !!!!