Copyright © 2003 Jeremy Alcorn
All Rights Reserved - Reservation of Rights
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      I apologize for the glare but this picture was taken through a glass case. These knifes are used to butcher fish. There are a number of ways to butcher a fish; a popular method used for panfish, called filleting, is described below.

      In this butchering process, the knife blade is inserted at the back of a fish’s head on either side of the spine. The blade is inserted until the rib cage is struck. Then the fish’s flesh is cut by drawing the knife along the spine, atop the ribcage towards the tail. When the rib cage ends and slopes down the knife follows until the blade penetrates the bottom of the fish near her anal (bottom/rear) fin. At this point the knife is now entering at the dorsal (top) section of the fish’s body and exiting at the ventral (bottom) section being drawn back towards the tail using the spine as a guide. The blade is continuously pulled back until it reaches the tail and cuts itself free.

      The newly separated flesh is held apart from the body of the fish while the angler uses the knife to cut the flesh from the sides of the ribcage. The angler then removes the only portion of the flesh still connected to the fish’s body which is in back of the fish’s head. The slab of flesh just removed from the fish is referred to as a fillet.

      The only task left is to separate the skin from the flesh. This is done by placing the slab skin side down on a cutting board and sliding the knife blade between the flesh and skin. By keeping the proper blade position the knife blade can be pulled the length of these two layers separating one from the other. This entire process is then repeated for the other side of the fish’s body.

      This technique is quickly learned and entails horrendous consequences for any fish who must experience it. This is because once a fish has undergone this type of butchering what is left are the organs, head and skeleton fully intact. The fish will be missing all flesh and skin from the pectoral (front/side fins behind the head) fins to the tail. The result is that a person who was alive going into the butchering process finds herself alive after the process, having undergone a terribly torturous experience. After this procedure she is thrown into the trash to die either of suffocation or excessive bleeding. (This pronouncement is not born out of ignorance, for having butchered many fish in this manner I can indeed attest to the fact that many survive this butchering.)

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Posted/Updated: 10/21/04

Copyright © 2003 Jeremy Alcorn
All Rights Reserved - Reservation of Rights