How to Clean a Trout

If you plan on going fishing, and then eating the fish that you catch, then you are going to need to know how to clean the fish. Keep reading to learn how to clean a trout.

Things You'll Need

• Bucket
• Knife
• Hose
• Sink
• Cutting board
• Scaling knife
• Plastic storage bags (Ziploc freezer bags)
• Freezer space
• Garbage pail

Instructions

1. Set up your area. You want to have your cutting board near your source of running water and your garbage pail near by. All of your tools should be within arm's reach. If you can set up your cleaning station outside, such as on a picnic table, with a hose near by, this would be a great place with one of the easiest cleanups, since you would be outside. You can keep the fish that you have caught in a bucket filled with water until you are ready to clean. If you are going to keep the fish alive like this, then you will want to chop the head off before scaling the fish to be humane.

2. Clean the trout.

3. Use your scaling knife to remove all of the scales from your trout, on both sides, while you firmly hold the fish. Rinse the trout as you do this so that you can see any scales that you may have missed.

4. Use the other knife to remove the head of the fish. Make sure that you cleanly remove the head and then throw it into the garbage pail.

5. Remove the guts from inside the fish with your hand or a spoon and throw them in the garbage pail as well.

6. Remove the spine and the tissue that you will see by the spine with your thumb or a spoon and throw this in the garbage pail.

7. Place the fish in a storage bag, write the date on the bag with a permanent marker, and store the fish in the freezer to keep fresh until you are ready to prepare for a meal.

Tips & Warnings

• Cleaning your trout outside not only makes for easier cleanup, it will also help you to avoid having that "fishy" smell throughout your house.

• Soaking your trout in milk before preparing the trout can help you to avoid having that "fishy" flavor if you fry them up.