Alternative to Filleting

There will come a time during a fly fisherman’s lifetime, when he (or she) will actually want to take a trout home to put on the grill. Perhaps you had difficulty unhooking it, and kept it out of the water too long. Or maybe, your spouse is beginning to suspect that you don’t really fly fish at
all . . . and you need to bring home some proof!

Here’s a quick and easy method to use to get the cleaning job done. It certainly seems to yield more meat than a standard “fillet job”.

If there’s a trick, it is that after gutting and cutting off the head, you should let the trout chill in the refrigerator overnight. This firms up the meat nicely, and allows for the quick and easy removal of the rib cage. This method is best suited to trout up to about 15 or 16 inches long.

Many thanks to the postmaster in Indian River for showing me this method. As you can tell in the video, I was absolutely amazed. After I turned off the camera, Pat declared, “I’ll make a carnivore out of you, yet!”