How to Clean a Fish

You've played, now you must pay. Before you enjoy the sublime taste of fresh-caught fish, you have to clean and prepare it. It's an easy process, and a necessary one.

Difficulty:

Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need

• Fish
• Boning Knives
• Cutting Boards
• Fish Scalers

1. Wash the fish using fresh tap water. Avoid cleaning fish with lake or stream water, as it can sometimes contain contaminants.

2. 

   Remove scales by scraping the fish with a fish scaler or the dull edge of a knife. Use short strokes from tail to head. If you plan to skin the fish before cooking, this step is not necessary.

3. 

   Make a cut from the gills to the vent.

4. 

   Remove the entrails with your fingers. Check the cavity carefully to make sure everything's been removed.

5. Rinse the cavity well.

6. If cooking the fish whole, remove the dorsal fin by cutting along each side of it and carefully pulling the fin out with pliers.

7. Wash the fish inside and out with cold, fresh water. Store the fish covered with clean ice that can drain from the container as it melts.

Tips & Warnings

• It's best to clean fish as soon as possible after they come out of the water.

• When storing cleaned fish on ice, don't allow melted water to touch the fish. Drain or discard the excess water as the ice melts.

• Store the fish with the cavity facing down, so that water doesn't pool in the cavity.

• Don't trim the fins before removing them, because bones at the base of the fins could be left inside the fish.