Filleting knife

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Catfish Paul
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Filleting knife

Post by Catfish Paul »

Hi guys,

I've been doing more and more fly fishing this year.
Catching a few nice trout too, mainly from catch and take lakes.

Can you recommend a decent filleting knife?

My one just isn't up for the job

Thanks πŸ‘πŸ‘
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Bob Watson
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Re: Filleting knife

Post by Bob Watson »

I have a Rapala which does the job well enough.

I can't comment on the sharpener, mine didn't come with one 15ish years ago. I use a stone and strop.
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Re: Filleting knife

Post by Bob Watson »

Just an observation, I'd usually cook trout on the bone.
Kev Berry

Re: Filleting knife

Post by Kev Berry »

dont get one with a thin bendy blade
Catfish Paul
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Re: Filleting knife

Post by Catfish Paul »

Bob Watson wrote: ↑Thu Jun 17 2021 17:16 -
I have a Rapala which does the job well enough.

I can't comment on the sharpener, mine didn't come with one 15ish years ago. I use a stone and strop.
Thanks Bob. I will have a look
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Re: Filleting knife

Post by Catfish Paul »

Kev Berry wrote: ↑Thu Jun 17 2021 20:31 -
dont get one with a thin bendy blade
I think that's the issue with my current one.
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Re: Filleting knife

Post by Bob Watson »

Kev Berry wrote: ↑Thu Jun 17 2021 20:31 -
dont get one with a thin bendy blade
Unless you're filleting massive tuna etc,, do get one with a thin bendy blade, the blade needs to bend with the bones you're cutting the flesh from, a stiff rigid blade makes the job a bit easier but leaves more flesh on the bones.

The knife I put the link up to that I have has a 7" blade and fillets cod and ling etc. as big as you'll realistically catch with ease.
Kev Berry

Re: Filleting knife

Post by Kev Berry »

Bob Watson wrote: ↑Thu Jun 17 2021 22:01 -
Kev Berry wrote: ↑Thu Jun 17 2021 20:31 -
dont get one with a thin bendy blade
Unless you're filleting massive tuna etc,, do get one with a thin bendy blade, the blade needs to bend with the bones you're cutting the flesh from, a stiff rigid blade makes the job a bit easier but leaves more flesh on the bones.

The knife I put the link up to that I have has a 7" blade and fillets cod and ling etc. as big as you'll realistically catch with ease.
Bob---having had to fillet thousands of lbs of cod, pollock, ling etc over the years whilst steaming back to harbour and having used those thin bendy filleting knives I can assure you a stiffer blade works much better and quicker.
Learned that from watching a bloke in the fish market in Bridlington 40 years ago
my fish carcases look like the ones you used to see Korky the Cat holding----theres not much left on em, and considering the time we had to fillet some huge catches at sea or finish off at home what little was wasted was tiny.

filleting ling was easy---we just cut straight through the rib bones, try doing that with a bendy knife. Then (at home if no time on boat) we skinned it, cut it off below where the ribs end and tail starts, the top bit we made a cut either side of the ribs losing a string of meat/bone about a quarter inch thick. Then cut the skinless boneless fillets into portion size.
Those using the Marttiini knives could do one ling to a stiffer bladed knife's 2
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Re: Filleting knife

Post by TeranceT »

I have a Rapala stiff filleting knife and a No Make flexible one.
I use the stiff one for slitting it open to remove the guts, I also cut the tail off as it burns when cooking, that isn't a pleasant smell.
I rarely take it of the bone but use the flexible one if I do. As Bob says it's better for the job.
I cook my trout in the oven with the head and skin on. Then when cooked pull the head off easily, peel the top layer of skin off to eat the flesh then the bone pull's out in one leaving the bottom to eat.
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Re: Filleting knife

Post by TeranceT »

Watch this.

https://vm.tiktok.com/ZMdjK1r5P/

I was sent this video by a friend just the other day.
It's exactly how I gut my trout but as I've said I don't remove the head and skin.

Job done in very little time.
Catfish Paul
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Re: Filleting knife

Post by Catfish Paul »

TeranceT wrote: ↑Thu Jun 17 2021 22:53 -
Watch this.

https://vm.tiktok.com/ZMdjK1r5P/

I was sent this video by a friend just the other day.
It's exactly how I gut my trout but as I've said I don't remove the head and skin.

Job done in very little time.
Thanks for the link.
Looks much easier than the way I do it currently πŸ‘

I am going fly fishing this evening , if I catch, i will give it a go.
TeranceT
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Re: Filleting knife

Post by TeranceT »

Catfish Paul wrote: ↑Fri Jun 18 2021 08:39 -
TeranceT wrote: ↑Thu Jun 17 2021 22:53 -
Watch this.

https://vm.tiktok.com/ZMdjK1r5P/

I was sent this video by a friend just the other day.
It's exactly how I gut my trout but as I've said I don't remove the head and skin.

Job done in very little time.
Thanks for the link.
Looks much easier than the way I do it currently πŸ‘

I am going fly fishing this evening , if I catch, i will give it a go.
Good luck with your fishing this evening.

My last four trips out read like this.
26th may - 14 Rainbows
Week later - 30 Rainbows
Week later - 3 refused my dry fly, so nothing.
This week - nothing

Luckily there is a few in the freezer.

Good luck with your filleting, if you take the pectoral fins as you do it you've got it sorted.
Let us know how you get on.
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Mike J
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Re: Filleting knife

Post by Mike J »

Kev Berry wrote: ↑Thu Jun 17 2021 20:31 -
dont get one with a thin bendy blade

Ain't that the truth!

:thumbs:

.
'No Man Ever Fishes The Same River Twice, .... For It Is Not The Same River, .... And He Is Not The Same Man' Heraclitus of Ephesus
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Mike J
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Re: Filleting knife

Post by Mike J »

TeranceT wrote: ↑Thu Jun 17 2021 22:53 -
Watch this.

https://vm.tiktok.com/ZMdjK1r5P/

I was sent this video by a friend just the other day.
It's exactly how I gut my trout but as I've said I don't remove the head and skin.

Job done in very little time.

Sorry Terrance but the method in the video is completely wrong.
Why, the blade is entering the fishes anus which then spreads the sh1t right through the fish.

The cleanest method is to remove the throat latch and gill rakers, cut around the a**l vent then draw the guts up through the throat. The tightly close anus retains the sh1t inside the gut and everything comes out leaving a perfectly clean fish that is ready to cook.
Removing the head looses the succulent fillet of meat that lies behind the gill plate and opening the belly looses more juices from the flesh.

.
'No Man Ever Fishes The Same River Twice, .... For It Is Not The Same River, .... And He Is Not The Same Man' Heraclitus of Ephesus
Rob1980
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Re: Filleting knife

Post by Rob1980 »

TeranceT wrote: ↑Fri Jun 18 2021 09:00 -
Catfish Paul wrote: ↑Fri Jun 18 2021 08:39 -
TeranceT wrote: ↑Thu Jun 17 2021 22:53 -
Watch this.

https://vm.tiktok.com/ZMdjK1r5P/

I was sent this video by a friend just the other day.
It's exactly how I gut my trout but as I've said I don't remove the head and skin.

Job done in very little time.
Thanks for the link.
Looks much easier than the way I do it currently πŸ‘

I am going fly fishing this evening , if I catch, i will give it a go.
Good luck with your fishing this evening.

My last four trips out read like this.
26th may - 14 Rainbows
Week later - 30 Rainbows
Week later - 3 refused my dry fly, so nothing.
This week - nothing

Luckily there is a few in the freezer.

Good luck with your filleting, if you take the pectoral fins as you do it you've got it sorted.
Let us know how you get on.
It doesn't take stockies long to wise up spread out and get on to the natural feeds
TeranceT
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Re: Filleting knife

Post by TeranceT »

Rob1980 wrote: ↑Fri Jun 18 2021 14:25 -
TeranceT wrote: ↑Fri Jun 18 2021 09:00 -
Catfish Paul wrote: ↑Fri Jun 18 2021 08:39 -
TeranceT wrote: ↑Thu Jun 17 2021 22:53 -
Watch this.

https://vm.tiktok.com/ZMdjK1r5P/

I was sent this video by a friend just the other day.
It's exactly how I gut my trout but as I've said I don't remove the head and skin.

Job done in very little time.
Thanks for the link.
Looks much easier than the way I do it currently πŸ‘

I am going fly fishing this evening , if I catch, i will give it a go.
Good luck with your fishing this evening.

My last four trips out read like this.
26th may - 14 Rainbows
Week later - 30 Rainbows
Week later - 3 refused my dry fly, so nothing.
This week - nothing

Luckily there is a few in the freezer.

Good luck with your filleting, if you take the pectoral fins as you do it you've got it sorted.
Let us know how you get on.
It doesn't take stockies long to wise up spread out and get on to the natural feeds
That's absolutely correct Rob.
This week around 6.30 lasting for about an hour they were chasing the fry but my imitations or presentation weren't good enough.
There were hundreds of thousands of 5 or 6 millimetre fry all around me.
TeranceT
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Re: Filleting knife

Post by TeranceT »

Mike J wrote: ↑Fri Jun 18 2021 10:14 -
TeranceT wrote: ↑Thu Jun 17 2021 22:53 -
Watch this.

https://vm.tiktok.com/ZMdjK1r5P/

I was sent this video by a friend just the other day.
It's exactly how I gut my trout but as I've said I don't remove the head and skin.

Job done in very little time.

Sorry Terrance but the method in the video is completely wrong.
Why, the blade is entering the fishes anus which then spreads the sh1t right through the fish.

The cleanest method is to remove the throat latch and gill rakers, cut around the a**l vent then draw the guts up through the throat. The tightly close anus retains the sh1t inside the gut and everything comes out leaving a perfectly clean fish that is ready to cook.
Removing the head looses the succulent fillet of meat that lies behind the gill plate and opening the belly looses more juices from the flesh.

.
Can't really see your point Mike.
Job is done under a running tap.
Been doing it for all my fishing life and have come to no harm.
Thanks for your tip but I'll continue as I've always done.
Catfish Paul
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Re: Filleting knife

Post by Catfish Paul »

TeranceT wrote: ↑Fri Jun 18 2021 09:00 -
Catfish Paul wrote: ↑Fri Jun 18 2021 08:39 -
TeranceT wrote: ↑Thu Jun 17 2021 22:53 -
Watch this.

https://vm.tiktok.com/ZMdjK1r5P/

I was sent this video by a friend just the other day.
It's exactly how I gut my trout but as I've said I don't remove the head and skin.

Job done in very little time.
Thanks for the link.
Looks much easier than the way I do it currently πŸ‘

I am going fly fishing this evening , if I catch, i will give it a go.
Good luck with your fishing this evening.

My last four trips out read like this.
26th may - 14 Rainbows
Week later - 30 Rainbows
Week later - 3 refused my dry fly, so nothing.
This week - nothing

Luckily there is a few in the freezer.

Good luck with your filleting, if you take the pectoral fins as you do it you've got it sorted.
Let us know how you get on.
Back from fishing.
I caught 1 rainbow and bumped one off too.
Fishing with my buddy who blanked!
I really thought they would be in the munch after the drop in temperature plus the rain bringing down the lake temperature.....but no.

Will try again next week
stubbojo
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Re: Filleting knife

Post by stubbojo »

Rob1980 wrote: ↑Fri Jun 18 2021 14:25 -
TeranceT wrote: ↑Fri Jun 18 2021 09:00 -
Catfish Paul wrote: ↑Fri Jun 18 2021 08:39 -
TeranceT wrote: ↑Thu Jun 17 2021 22:53 -
Watch this.

https://vm.tiktok.com/ZMdjK1r5P/

I was sent this video by a friend just the other day.
It's exactly how I gut my trout but as I've said I don't remove the head and skin.

Job done in very little time.
Thanks for the link.
Looks much easier than the way I do it currently πŸ‘

I am going fly fishing this evening , if I catch, i will give it a go.
Good luck with your fishing this evening.

My last four trips out read like this.
26th may - 14 Rainbows
Week later - 30 Rainbows
Week later - 3 refused my dry fly, so nothing.
This week - nothing

Luckily there is a few in the freezer.

Good luck with your filleting, if you take the pectoral fins as you do it you've got it sorted.
Let us know how you get on.
It doesn't take stockies long to wise up spread out and get on to the natural feeds
there kamikaze when freshly stocked , i like it when there on naturals weeks later , its a bit more challenging, proper fishing on a surface , well as proper as its going to get in a stock pond , get on a wild river on browns and grayling , now..... thats fly fishing and cheaper too
i used to go stock pond bashing a lot years back ...but it got a bit boring ...... :thumbs: as regards to filleting knives ,ive always had the bendy type as you can get closer to the bone and the curvatures and contours of the fish , never had a problem with me bendy..... a bendy comes into play when filleting flat fish i find
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Mike J
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Re: Filleting knife

Post by Mike J »

TeranceT wrote: ↑Fri Jun 18 2021 16:28 -
Mike J wrote: ↑Fri Jun 18 2021 10:14 -
TeranceT wrote: ↑Thu Jun 17 2021 22:53 -
Watch this.

https://vm.tiktok.com/ZMdjK1r5P/

I was sent this video by a friend just the other day.
It's exactly how I gut my trout but as I've said I don't remove the head and skin.

Job done in very little time.

Sorry Terrance but the method in the video is completely wrong.
Why, the blade is entering the fishes anus which then spreads the sh1t right through the fish.

The cleanest method is to remove the throat latch and gill rakers, cut around the a**l vent then draw the guts up through the throat. The tightly close anus retains the sh1t inside the gut and everything comes out leaving a perfectly clean fish that is ready to cook.
Removing the head looses the succulent fillet of meat that lies behind the gill plate and opening the belly looses more juices from the flesh.

.
Can't really see your point Mike.
Job is done under a running tap.
Been doing it for all my fishing life and have come to no harm.
Thanks for your tip but I'll continue as I've always done.

Fish washed under a tap, well I suppose its a matter of taste.
Gilling and gutting through the throat is usually only practiced by professionals, my advice was aimed at improving Paul's table fish.

.
'No Man Ever Fishes The Same River Twice, .... For It Is Not The Same River, .... And He Is Not The Same Man' Heraclitus of Ephesus
Brian Carragher
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Re: Filleting knife

Post by Brian Carragher »

Always got from the gills to the a**l vent, never the other way round, I'm with Mike on this one, cleaner gutting and no spill of the bile duct or s**t pipe, oh and I'm ex commercial fisherman so I've gutted and filleted one or two over the years
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Re: Filleting knife

Post by Pinkie »

Great thread. Cheers. Going up to Scotland soon wild camping and will have to catch trout for food otherwise I'll be left eating just cous cus and smash potato with beef jerky!
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Bob Watson
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Re: Filleting knife

Post by Bob Watson »

I manage OK with the knife I posted a pic of but this bloke is on another level.

Still a flexi blade but with a bit more to it.... Is this the type you're on about Kev??
Kev Berry

Re: Filleting knife

Post by Kev Berry »

Bob Watson wrote: ↑Tue Jun 22 2021 22:31 -
I manage OK with the knife I posted a pic of but this bloke is on another level.

Still a flexi blade but with a bit more to it.... Is this the type you're on about Kev??
Yes they the ones....got some backbone in them.
The martinni type knives have concave backs and are too flimsy.
When we were in a real hurry and had literally tons of fish i used a butchers bacon knife on the ling.
Must keep touching that edge up every now and then as well.
TeranceT
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Re: Filleting knife

Post by TeranceT »

Bob Watson wrote: ↑Tue Jun 22 2021 22:31 -
I manage OK with the knife I posted a pic of but this bloke is on another level.

Still a flexi blade but with a bit more to it.... Is this the type you're on about Kev??
Excellent video Bob.
Thanks for posting the link.

I've never filleted any of the trout that I catch. Just remove the guts and tail as I've already said.
May give it a go when I get amongst a few.
Catfish Paul
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Re: Filleting knife

Post by Catfish Paul »

Bob Watson wrote: ↑Tue Jun 22 2021 22:31 -
I manage OK with the knife I posted a pic of but this bloke is on another level.

Still a flexi blade but with a bit more to it.... Is this the type you're on about Kev??
Great video πŸ‘πŸ‘
TeranceT
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Re: Filleting knife

Post by TeranceT »

Catfish Paul wrote: ↑Wed Jun 23 2021 13:48 -
Bob Watson wrote: ↑Tue Jun 22 2021 22:31 -
I manage OK with the knife I posted a pic of but this bloke is on another level.

Still a flexi blade but with a bit more to it.... Is this the type you're on about Kev??
Great video πŸ‘πŸ‘
Out yesterday evening.
Three fish. All off the top using a Hawthorne Fly immigration.
All filleted so now have six in the fridge. Got a couple soaking up some Sweet Chilly Sauce
My No-name flexible one did the job with no problems.
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Mike J
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Re: Filleting knife

Post by Mike J »

How a professional fillets a fish.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=IsL5acnXTNM

Dont blink its fast!

.
'No Man Ever Fishes The Same River Twice, .... For It Is Not The Same River, .... And He Is Not The Same Man' Heraclitus of Ephesus
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Bob Watson
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Re: Filleting knife

Post by Bob Watson »

Mike J wrote: ↑Thu Jun 24 2021 09:42 -
How a professional fillets a fish.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=IsL5acnXTNM

Dont blink its fast!

.
:thumbs:

A bit too quick for a tutorial :wink: but good to see. I wondered why he was putting a cut in the tail end, might try that on the cod.
Kev Berry

Re: Filleting knife

Post by Kev Berry »

Bob Watson wrote: ↑Thu Jun 24 2021 17:37 -
Mike J wrote: ↑Thu Jun 24 2021 09:42 -
How a professional fillets a fish.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=IsL5acnXTNM

Dont blink its fast!

.
:thumbs:

A bit too quick for a tutorial :wink: but good to see. I wondered why he was putting a cut in the tail end, might try that on the cod.
So he could put it over the nail for skinning
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