Killing, scaling and cleaning! Not the best part of fishing, nevertheless a necessity if you are going to eat your catch.
First, rap the head of the fish with the dull side of your knife blade, or some other (BCB) blunt object to kill it. Then lay the fish flat. With a scaling knife or a dull kitchen knife at about a 45 degrees angle, pull the edge of the knife against the side of the fish. Repeat, until all the scales are off.
It is best to scale a fish outdoors, as the scales may scatter in all directions. If you have to scale it indoors, hold the fish under water in the sink or in a basin,.
To gut the fish, turn it on its back with the tail toward your body, insert the point of the knife into the anus and pull it up through the belly all the way to the gills. Cut away the gills. You may have to cut through some bones near the gill. Pull out or cut away all organs. The dark line near the backbone is the kidney and can be easily removed by running your finger along it and pulling it away.
If you are not going to cook the fish immediately, double wrap it tightly in plastic and freeze it for future use.
