How to Clean a Small Fish with a Big Knife

An easy way to clean a small fish with a big blade. While the argument between fans of large and small blades rages on, I maintain that it is easier to do small knife chores with a big blade, than it is to do big knife chores with a small one. Of course I recognize that you can gut a trout with your thumbnail, so this isn’t the best demonstration, but having gutted scaly fish like perch fish with rocks and shells; I can tell you that a large knife is a lot easier.

This should work equally well with any piece of sharp steel like an axe, hatchet or machete and is much less awkward they trying to manage the tool in your hand.

After gutting, rinsing, and pinning the fish to a stick; I tried an experiment that I’ve been curious about for a while. Could I cook a trout on a twig stove without a frying pan? I got off to a rough start getting the stove going, but eventually got it together and did my best to position the fish properly over the heat.

One problem with small stoves like this is that it can be difficult to maintain a consistent heat output, so the fish spent time alternating between being smoked, burn, and cooled, with short periods of nice medium heat. By the end there was a pretty good layer of soot on the skin, but the meat itself cooked nicely and tasted great. One side was a little underdone, but I don’t mind that and would call this a success not worth replicating.

Questions, comments, and suggestions are always welcome and appreciated.

Knife: ESEE Junglas II
Stove: Pocket Cooker
Char: Charred Punk Wood
Stone: Mystery Rock
Tinder Bundle: Western Red Cedar Boughs & Unknown Lichen Species (Old Man’s Beard)
Fish Skewer: Scouler’s Willow

Music

Fredji – Endless Nights https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KePN7-dF_lw

Luca Stricagnoli – The Last of the Mohicans https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Kbv1OpIpaA

You Blew It! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m5RtlpXsl8k

You Blew It Bad https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VCCC6XN-wfQ