Properly cleaning a trout is not an overly complicated process, but it can be overwhelming for beginning anglers.
Cleaning a trout begins the moment you pull the fish out of the water and continues until you have fillets ready to be cooked. The sooner you can clean the fish after pulling it out of the water, the fresher the meat will stay.
How Do You Break Down A Trout?
The term “break down” refers to the entire process of cleaning and cutting a trout.
This process begins after you have already bled out the trout and removed the slime.
It includes the descaling of the fish, the removal of the bones and fins, and the filleting of the meat. While this can be done at home, it is generally recommended to be done along the riverside.
How to Clean A Trout
There are a number of steps to cleaning a trout properly, and it all starts with descaling the fish, as this can adversely affect the texture of the fillets. From there, the gills and guts need to be removed along with the mud vein, head, bones, and finally the fins.
1. How to Descale A Trout?
It is generally recommended to clean a trout riverside before taking it home.
In order to descale the trout, after it has been thoroughly bled and the slime removed, simply rinse it under cool water and then place it on a flat surface. While holding on to the fish’s tail, drag the dull side of a fillet knife across the fish’s skin from tail to head.
You will need to do this multiple times until all of the scales have been removed from the first side. After removing the scales, simply rinse the fish off again and do the same for the opposite side.
2. How to Remove A Trout’s Jaw
The next step in cleaning a trout is to remove the jaw.
In order to separate the jaw, you will need to place the fish on its side and open its gill with your thumb.
With the knife angled towards the fish’s head, slide it into the gap that was created by your thumb between the head and gills. Simply slice through the jaw with your knife, careful not to cut your thumb. Repeat this process for the other side and remove the jaw completely.
3. How to Gut A Trout
With the jaw removed, it is time to remove the gills and start gutting the fish.
Start by placing a knife in the small hole that is located near the tail end of the fish, and slice from the tail to the head. Stop cutting before you reach the gills, as you will be able to tear the remaining flesh with your hands.
Once the belly has been fully opened, you can pinch down where the organs connect to the gills and remove the gills and other internal organs from head to tail. All the internal organs should come together by gently pulling towards the tail.
4. How to Remove A Trout’s Mud Vein
The last remaining internal part that should be removed is the mud vein that runs along the trout’s spine. After you have completely removed the gills and all of the organs, you will need to clean out the inside of the fish with running water. This will remove any dirt, sand, or entrails that were left behind.
You will notice a brownish-black colored vein running along the spine. This will need to be scraped out with your thumbnail or a spoon. Start at the tail of the trout and slowly work your way to the head, making sure that all of the mud vein is removed in the process.
The trout is now cleaned if you want a cook a whole trout with the head on. If you would like the head and removed fins then follow these additional steps:
How to Separate A Trout’s Head
Once you have thoroughly cleaned out the inside of the trout, it is time to remove the fish’s head.
Angler Tip: Don’t remove the head if you want to fillet the fish. When filleting a fish, the head will give you a good spot to hold onto the fish.
You can simply bend the head backward until you hear a snapping sound and continue until the skin starts ripping. This method is quick and easy, but it can tear the meat giving it a rough presentation.
The other option is using a shape fillet to cut between the vertebrate of the spine just before the head. Slicing between the vertebrates and through the skin will give you a clean cut giving you a nicer presentation.
5. How to Fillet A Trout
To learn how to fillet a trout like a pro will take a bit of practice, but it’s not as complicated as it looks. You’ll need a sharp fillet knife that is flexible and will cut through the meat like butter.
Start at the head of the fish, and with the knife positioned between the ribs and meat, slice the fish all the way down to the tail.
This may require several passes before the fillet is fully separated from the ribs and spine. Once you have completed one side of the trout, you will need to flip it over and remove the fillet from the other side as well.
6. How to Remove A Trout’s Ribs
Next, you will need to remove any remaining ribs from the meat. Larger rib bones can generally be removed using a pair of pliers or your fingers.
However, smaller pin bones will require tweezers to remove them. In order to ensure that all of the ribs are removed from the flesh, you will need to flex the fillets in order to expose any bones left in the meat. If you find any ribs, they should be removed and discarded with the rest of the carcass.
7. How to Remove the Trout’s Fins
The fins are the last things to remove from a trout when breaking it down.
There is a bone at the base of the fin that you can slice around it to remove the whole fin. This can be tricky to do while ensuring you don’t remove too much of the meat. But practice makes perfect.
Angler Tip: Don’t try to slice through the fins using a knife. The fins are made from bone, and trying to slice through solid bone will quickly dull your knife.
The other option to remove fins is to cut through them using scissors designed to cut through fins. You can simply trim the fins down to the skin.
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Fishing Scissors
Having a good-quality set of scissors on hand designed for fishing can be quite useful. Whether you need to cut fishing line or need them to help with cleaning your catch for dinner later that day. Using scissors is a great alternative to a knife in many situations, making it much safer to use.
When Should You Clean Trout After Being Caught?
When it comes to ensuring the freshness of a trout, you should clean it immediately after being caught. But there are some steps you should take before you even think about cleaning your fish,
Cleaning A Trout at River Side & Etiquette
It’s recommended to clean your trout at the river or lake or at an appropriate cleaning station.
After cleaning your trout, you should throw the unwanted organs and pieces into the water.
Some anglers will toss the innards in the woods, but this is a big no-no. Doing this could attract unwanted animals into the area, potentially putting other anglers in danger.
Do You Need to Bleed Trout?
You don’t need to bleed out your trout before cleaning it but many anglers believe bleeding a fish will help preserve its freshness and taste. This is because the blood will decay faster than the meat affecting the meat’s appearance and taste.
How to Bleed a Trout
- Knock The Fish Out: Whacking the trout on the head using a rock or bat.
- Cut The Gills: Cut the trout’s gills using a knife or scissors.
- Place the Fish’s Head in Water: Ensure the head and gills are underwater to help the blood flow out. The trout’s heart will still be pumping, pushing the blood out through the gills that are now cut.
- Squeezing The Blood Out: Gently squeeze the fish at the tail and run your hand towards the head while keeping pressure, trying to squeeze out any remaining blood.
How Do You Clean the Slime Off of Trout?
Removing the trout’s slime can be done in two different ways:
- Rinse and Scrub: Submerge your trout underwater and start scrubbing the slime off by using your hands.
- Soaking: Place trout in chilled water with a cup or two of vinegar and let it sit for roughly 20 minutes. The vinegar will break down the slime so that it can be easily washed off.
Many anglers claim that using vinegar will not impact the flavor of the fish, assuming you do a good job with rinsing off the vinegar after soaking.
Personally, I find soaking involves an additional step. I’m simple, and physically scrubbing the slime off has worked fine for me for many years.
Cleaning A Trout at Home
It’s always best to clean your trout as soon as possible after catching it for maximum freshness. But there will be times when that is not possible for you.
Perhaps you must get home at a certain time, feeling too tired, or maybe you forgot to bring your knife. Whatever the reason, you might need to clean your trout at home.
As long as the fish is kept on ice, you will have roughly 24 to 36 hours in which to get it home and clean it properly.
Should You Gut Trout Straight Away?
As a general rule of thumb, the sooner you can gut a trout, the fresher it will stay.
Whether you plan on cooking it along the riverside or taking it home to eat, it is always best to gut a trout along the shores of the river you caught it and then chill it in a cooler until you can get it home.
Do You Need to Clean Trout Before Cooking?
It’s not necessary to clean a trout before cooking it. However, you will need to cook the trout longer to kill off any potential bacteria in the fish and thoroughly cook the meat. The innards act as an insulator, making it more difficult to fully cook the meat.
I would highly recommend that you gut your trout before cooking to be on the safe side. Plus, I don’t think you want to accidentally eat any of the guts, which will higher concentrations of bacteria.