BEST FISH IN THE PAN

By Scott Haugen

If you’re new to trout fishing, know that there are many ways to clean trout and even more ways to cook them. Keep in mind that how you cook trout often comes down to how you clean them, so plan ahead.

First Things First

To get the most from your trout, deliver a quick blow to the top of the head between the eyes. Immediately break a couple gill rakes to bleed out

HOW TO HANDLE, CLEAN YOUR CAUGHT TROUT FOR OPTIMUM FLAVOR

the fish; if in a boat, hold the trout over the water to do this.

Once bled, place trout in a cooler with ice to chill as soon as possible. Don’t try to keep the fish alive on a stringer, as it stresses them and compromises the overall meat quality.

Some folks like cooking trout with the scales on, and some like scaling them. Scaling a trout can be done with a knife, but a quick and easy way is with a garden hose. Line up your trout in the grass – heads facing away – and use the jet of the nozzle to remove the scales. It’s quick and easy, and cleans the fish of slime, too.

Go With The Gut

To gut a trout, place the fish on its side on a cutting board or hold it upside down in one hand. Insert the tip of a filet knife into the vent while sliding and lifting as you cut to the throat. Place the fish on its side and run the knife behind the gill plate until it hits the spine atop the back of the fish, right behind the top of the head. Cut down

Rainbow trout can be used to create a great appetizer dip. (TIFFANY HAUGEN)