You want to take the scales off. I just figured out how to do this a couple days ago on my own. I was having the same problem and couldn't find any info on the web explaining how to do it successfully. Like you, I was ripping the skin(more precisely, that thin dark-colored membrane we need for appearance, that holds each scale to the skin).
Through trial and error, I found a few things that helped immensely. In fact, once I got going, I pulled every following scale off of that huge carp without damaging the skin/scale membrane one bit.
First, after I tried a few scales unsuccessfully, I noticed by the time I got the fish home, it was drying out, and that drying meant the skin/scale membrane had shrunk tightly, holding fast to each scale. So, I soaked the fish in a tub of water for about 45 minutes, then removed it from the water and scraped most of the newly formed 'fish slime' off of it, and then took it into the shop and went to work again on the scales.
This time, with needle-nose pliars, I grabbed the TIP of each scale and pulled straight towards the tail. Not sideways, starting one side of the scale before the other, not lifting up on the scale or twisting, or jerking AT ALL....
Simply exert a strong, steady pull, by only the tip of the scale, in the precise direction the scale is growing... straight towards the tail. When the scale comes free, your hand should actually slide along the fish's body straight towards the tail.
I kept a pan of water nearby, and if the fish began to dry out at all, I'd rewet it. The scales pulled free with relative ease and left the skin perfectly intact.
I started down low on the fish's side, towards the front end of the belly and worked one 'row' of scales rearward. Then came back towards the front of the fish, and removed the next higher row, working again from head end toward the tail. I continued removing them a row at a time until I got to the top of its back. I planned to use the skin higher on the fish for my bow, but started low so I could get some practice before I got up into the good stuff
Then I used a fillet knife to cut down through the skin around the entire perimeter of the piece I wanted to remove, started the piece on the head end with the knife until I could get ahold of it(paper towels help give ya a firm grip), put the knife down, and simply peeled it off in the direction of the tail. It came right off.
I emphasized 'tip' up above because if you jam the pliars too far up under the scale to try to ensure a bigger bite, and/or to either side of the tip of the scale because you're having a problem getting the pliars underneith it, the odds of damaging the membrane to some degree go up considerably. First, grab just 1/4" or less of the tip of the scale and try. 95% of the time, they'll come.
A couple of times, if I didn't get a deep enough bite on the scale, the pliars would tear off a tiny tip of the scale, only then would I take a slightly deeper bite, being very careful not to grab the membrane in the process.
Hope this helps.
Good luck pluckin'.
Topic: Carp skins...scales or no scales?? (Read 274 times)
