I see a few comments about meat wastage. I thought the same thing before I started filleting, it was a bit of the purist in me who thought that gutting was the best way. When I learned how to fillet I learned just how little meat was actually wasted. The vast majority of meat on a trout is above the ribs along the back and tail. If done right, you won't lose more than that small strip of meat around the fins and where you would cut for gutting. That's pretty thin meat, and a pain to pick bones out. And please note the bucket of fish, no problem here coming up with lots of fish- cooking that many whole fish would take a month of Sundays - fillets take up less pan space and cook in half the time - by filleting we can cook several dozen trout for large groups of fishermen - and I love the crispy taste of fried fillet's better than whole trout, not to mention not having to pick out bones. So give it a try, you might find you like filleting trout this way. Oh and by the way, the reason you start with the back away is so that you can get the proper angle on the opposite side because you'll have to lower your knife angle almost below table level. That's hard to do if you've already taken off one fillet and the back is now away from you. Give it a try, you'll see what I mean.
Useful video. And if people complaining want to use the rest of the fish carcass for something else then there are many uses I'm sure. I can think of some uses.
I used to be a fishmonger, it’s fair enough if you prefer your fillet like this - but there is some wastage and if it wasn’t for you (and being sold) people would prefer more. However it’s a move quick simple method, so thanks for sharing
Guys! He is NOT wasting really any meat. Obviously no one eats the guts, so that is not a waste. Nor is the head or tail. Some people claim the fins are good, but not anyone I personally know. The meat you see on the side of the fish, like where his ribs are, is thin and is surrounding bones (the ribs). Your can’t really efficiently or efficiently take that off. Maybe the stomach could have been shaved a little bit to take some of the nice meat off, but for the most part, you are all making a big fuss over nothing. 🐟
Just tried your method with a 15" splake. Worked like a charm. Thanks for showing the easiest method I've ever seen in my life. Like a lot of commenters here, I thought you were wasting a ridiculous amount of meat. In fact, I almost gave you a thumbs down, just because of that. BUT...after trying it myself, I realized that it's not actually wasting much of the meat my family and I prefer to eat anyway. Most people trim up the belly meat/fat until it's basically gone. I don't care for the gamey taste the belly fat gives the rest of the fillet. The little bit of rib meat that was left behind was too little for me to lose any sleep over. As you said, throw the rest of the carcass back into the lake or river and there is truly no waste of the fish. This was so simple that even my wife (who has never filleted a fish in her life) said it looked "too" easy. After watching me do it, she has volunteered to fillet all of our fish from here on out. Thanks a LOT for that one, Dan! I'm going to subscribe to your channel.
By far the best and easiest method I've seen. Just cleaned a 16" brown and the fillets came out perfect using this video. I've tried the more complicated ways running the knife along the back of the fish and picking the meat off the bones but this was easier and had the same results. Well done!
Thank you sir.. I never filleted a rainbow trout before your method works perfectly. I found if I was slow and careful there was very little meat waste
No gutting, minimal cutting...this has to be the fastest, cleanest way to cut a boneless trout fillet! I have fished all my life and decided to try this method tonight. Going forward this is the only way I'll clean trout after this!
That works for me. I'm going to try this. I don't care for belly fat/meat or the skin. I'd much rather fillet them using your method. Thank you for posting this video.
Jacob Herrmann if you like the skin it's simple enough to leave it on. Personal preference. I like skin on when cooking whole fish and skin off when cooking fillets.
Jordan Largey lol ignoring the fact the he wasted parts of the fish that could have been consumed doesn’t just negate it. They aren’t haters they are mere observers
Well Dan, greetings from sunny Chigwell, Essex, England. My wife brought home 2 fresh, whole, rainbow trout from the super market yesterday. I intend to fillet as per your excellent video. Many thanks, Johnny O.
I've seen a lot of videos showing how to fillet fish and as a line cook I can tell they've only done this a few times. This guy has filleted a lot of fish. Very few if any wasted movements. Confidence cutting.
Just so everyone knows, all our fish are native rainbow trout. There are several dozen lakes in the Crystal Lakes with trout, none of them planted. Most are 10-14” like you see in the video but they can get as big as 10 lbs and 32”! But we release those ones so sorry no video filleting them. The red meat is normal, I believe caused by the freshwater shrimp.
Can’t I just skip that second step on each side and just keep the skin . I was excited when I noticed no scales . We just caught our first 10 ever today in WV - Tomlinson Run
@@bradleyskinner9973 yes , you can keep the skin. It's delicious fried in butter. For something really different, rub it with curry paste , leave a few hours, then fry.
@@danbrooks7086 Another question for you (this one not related to Rowdy Roddy Piper). Using your filleting technique what about the pin bones in the trout? Do you leave them in or can you take them out too?
@@franklinbumgartener1323 I leave the pin bones in. Most our trout are small enough, the pin bones just dissintegrate when cooking. I've tried the same method with trophy trout, and salmon - fish over 5lbs generally, and I find running a knife along the fillet kinda catches and lifts the pin bones, then I grab them between my fillet knife and thumb and pull them out. That's time consuming eh!
If you're a beginner then don't fillet a fish this way. I have filleted fish before and he left so much meat on the fish. So if you are a beginner then don't fillet a fish this way
thumbs up Dan....that's how I do them as well.....then I discard carcasses up on the hill behind my house and the animals love it...!!! JD Lake George, NY
Do you and your dog just choke down the Bones and that filet? What am I missing here? How is this not just choking to death on pin bones? Obviously dogs don't give a f***
when you fry the fish the little bones will pop out any you can see them easily...pull the meat off the bones with a fork no problem.....dip in lemon juice and inhale !!! ;-) hav a great day !!!
I ordered two of these based on the reviews. ru-vid.comUgkxqmKabisEv81ul5v7OhvVxxOpt2CJruI- Received them on time and they look good. I really like the handle on these knives as they feel good in my hand. I'm giving them 4 stars on look and feel, but have not had the chance to put them to the test yet. I mostly fish for catfish and can hopefully try them out in the next few days. If they hold an edge throughout a limit of catfish, they'll be worth another star.Update...I used the 9" strong and the 9" fillet on a mess of catfish. I did put a sharpening on these before I started. I want a razor edge to fillet fish but they weren't quite that sharp. The people who gave these knives crappy reviews and said they were sending them back was because they weren't razor sharp. So what, do they not have a knife sharpener?? Good grief! I mean you have to sharpen any knife from time to time.I personally like them and am pleased with them. If you're too lazy to sharpen a knife then hire someone to clean your fish lol.I've never bought a knife in my life that would shave hair right out of the box. Don't be afraid to purchase the knives. They're pretty nice in my opinion.
Thx for vid. Novice here working in grocery store seafood [culinary bkground but not too much seafood emphasis] but learning through practice, watching more expert peers carefully, the grocer’s training vids, and ones like your’s. Q: Do you wear cut gloves? Maybe since I’m new + major US grocer provides them we use them. I do this:Non latex glove +cut glove+ another non latex glove on 1 hand. Thank you for this informative clip. Watched a few times. Appreciate the rationale and explanations accompanying the cuts
Love the method and great video, I clean about 300-400 trout a day at the hatchery I work at.. and I’ve tried all different ways and I feel as tho there’s a decent bit of meat on top of the ribs on trout.....so are you just using this method on smaller fish?
Simply a brilliant way to cut a filet😊, and all those people talking about waist 🤦🏻♂️ sure you can cut a bigger piece, BUT, when you are done from cleaning all the bones, you have the same filet but with much more effort 😅
I'm only 24, been a eat it whole without the head kinda guy my whole life but I just used your method on some rainbows I just caught on the first day of trout here in Pennsylvania
Skin is the best part, very tasty and keeps the meat moist while your fry, crazy to skin a trout, never seen it done in Ireland, the best chefs keep the skin on to protect the meat when frying. But each to their own I suppose.
I prefer the traditional method of filleting starting along the back bone. A boy less wastage and two minutes pulling pin bones out. However, if I have been doing a days fishing and half 2 or 3 dozen trout to deal with, I would do this method as I wouldn't be bothered with the excessive waste.
I fillet my fish exactly the same way . Many people say I waste to much fish but they don't realize that I put the discarded parts back in the water . Fish eat it so nothing is wasted
Interesting technique Dan. I fillet a lot of Kokanee I like to leave the skin on and keep the bellies attached and take out the pin bones but I'm going to try this and smoke the bellies separate yummmmm
I do think their is some waste but with such small fish do you fill like spending 10 minutes per fish? me either so this method works grate I also can see I think much of the trout that are brought home never get eaten and sit in peoples freezers with this method people are more likely to actually eat the fish they catch.
I’ve watched this enough times I might actually remember how to do it soon! But eating filets is much more pleasurable and less time consuming than to try and consume the trout whole.
Nice. Used to work in fine dining and we served trout without taking pin bones out. Chef would say, "rainbow trout bones are soft". Seared it, ate it, never care to take pin bone off rainbow trout again.
I bonk them on the head. Usually I just turn the fish upside down - this disorients them and they stop struggling - then wack their head on the seat or edge of the boat. I know others who use a little club to dispatch fish.
That's the easiest fastest way but there's quite a bit of waste there.. if you gut it, cut the inside ribs out, then skin it then cut the pin bones out you save 1/3 again as much....
This is going to save me time on gutting. Just started fishing myself got a couple rainbows yesterday. Any recommended blades for this I was using my pocket knife.
Your 30 seconds or less fillet technique was very impressive. I hear there's a guy around that same Crystal Lake area that fillets his meat in 30 seconds or less as well... Only he typically uses a machete.
Kool video Stupid yankee history alone question Is two to three fish for filets enough for one meal? Can you use the rest of the fish for some kind of meal? Thank from Couch potatoe with remote thumb 😁
Hi Dan, will the pin bones disintegrate, if the filet is baked in an oven at 400 for twenty-minutes? If not, is pan frying a sure way to make sure the pin bones are dissolved?
You know I've never baked them so can't speak to that method. The pin bones dissolve on regular sized trout when fried. Trophy trout the pin bones might need to be pulled. But generally speaking I've done thousands of fillets this way and never had to worry about pin bones
I just commented a couple weeks ago telling you how much I loved this tip. I was filleting a 15" splake. Quick question - can you do a northern pike the same way? We have pretty huge pike up here in Michigan's Upper Peninsula. As such, I'm not really concerned with "wasting" a little bit of meat from one. Besides, we all know how big of a pain in the butt it is to properly fillet a pike. Anything that might make it a little easier/quicker is okay by me. By the way, as I told you a couple weeks ago, I went ahead and subscribed to your channel. Keep up the great videos!
Yooper Couple I’ve never caught a pike in my life so I have no idea. Try it on one and let me know how it works. I’ve been told there are no pike in the western side of the Rockies. I don’t know if that’s true but there aren’t any around here. Thanks for your comments! Once summer hits I’ll be putting together some more videos on filleting and cooking the fish.
Gotcha. Yeah, being from Florida, I had never caught one, either. Until I moved up here, that is. I'm hoping to go ice fishing Sunday (2/17) and expect I'll probably catch one on a tip-up. If so, I'll definitely give it a try. I should definitely catch another splake (or 3), and if I do, I'll be using your method again. Thanks for the response. I'll come back and let you know if it works for pike, if I get one.
What is the best length knife for this? 6in? 4in? And can you share what brand? Or a link to the best knife for this? Also, do you sharpen with a steel between filleting?
I prefer at least a 6", but I've used up to 10" and I like them even better! Just gives more flex I'm the blade the longer it is. I don't have a specific brand. My fillet knives grow legs all the time.... Too many people filleting fish around here! So I usually just buy cheap Rapalla fillet knives for about $20. My dream is a Cutco fillet knife, but I'm still working up the gumption to explain to my wife why I spent so much $! :)
I WISH I had your filleting knife !! There must be something in the knife that makes it look that easy , ( It seems like the knife does it by itself )👍
A sharp fillet knife is essential to these methods. A Wal-Mart/Target/etc fillet knife won't do even if it's "name brand". Get a good knife and a good whetstone and you'll fillet like nothing else.
