• Trout is popular amongst sport fishing enthusiasts because of the species' tendency to fight hard against the line.Ontario Trout Fishing: Temperature, Tackle and Techniques They can grow quite large, at about 25 inches in length and seven pounds.National Geographic Animals: Rainbow Trout They are also fairly easy to catch and make a quick, tasty meal on the campfire or at home.

• As more and more Americans strive to make healthy changes in their diets, they are hearing from nutritionists that fish is a great choice for a tasty, nutritious meal.Department of Health: Health Benefits of Fish Moreover, trout itself offers a number of specific benefits, including:

1. Heart-healthy vitamins, minerals and high levels of Omega-3 fatty acids.SeattlePI.com: Benefits of eating fish outweigh risks (July 11, 2006)
2. It is inexpensive, or free if you catch it yourself.Aquaculture Network Information Center: Rainbow Trout (January, 1995)
3. It is low in fat and high in protein.Aquaculture Network Information Center: Rainbow Trout (January, 1995)
4. It cooks very quickly, compared to meat.Aquaculture Network Information Center: Rainbow Trout (January, 1995)

• For many fishing enthusiasts, there is nothing tastier than a freshly-caught trout. Catching the trout may be the fun part for most people, but preparing the trout for cooking is not nearly as messy as you might think.United States Trout Farmer's Association: Trout Tips & Handling How-To's

• First you need to remove the digestive tract of the fish. To do so:

1. Starting at the anal opening, use a knife and cut upwards (towards the head) and away from the fish.About.com: How to Gut and Scale a Fish - Starting the Cut
2. Continue cutting until you reach the gills.About.com: How to Gut and Scale a Fish - Cut to the Gills
3. Grasp the head with your free hand and push your thumb through the throat of the fish, underneath the bottom jaw.2Crows.net: Clean and Skin Trout . . .
4. Tug down firmly along the bottom side of the fish. The entrails should now be cleanly removed from the fish, all in a single mass.2Crows.net: Clean and Skin Trout . . .

Finally, starting at the anal fin, cut open the belly of the trout and remove the guts from the cavity.The Australian Women's Weekly: Fish Tips Catch them in a newspaper for easy disposal.United States Trout Farmer's Association: Trout Tips & Handling How-To's

1. Rinse the fish off with clean, cold water.
   • - Do not scrub it, since trout have a jelly-like cover that allows them to be breaded without using any type of liquid.United States Trout Farmer's Association: Trout Tips & Handling How-To's
2. Remove the head by cutting in a v-shape, towards the mouth.The Australian Women's Weekly: Fish Tips Use the line of the gills to guide you.
3. Cut off the pectoral fins on both sides of the fish.The Australian Women's Weekly: Fish Tips

• If you want to prepare your trout in attractive fillets, you can use a simple but elegant technique called butterflying.Ontario Fly-In Fishing: How to Clean & Bake Trout To butterfly your trout:

1. Place the trout stomach-up on a cutting board.Ontario Fly-In Fishing: How to Clean & Bake Trout
2. Turning your knife upside-down (blade facing up), slide it along the backbone and cut up.Freshwater Fishing Canada: How to Fillet Trout
3. Turn the knife back over and cut down along the backbone. Cut all the way to the tail.Ontario Fly-In Fishing: How to Clean & Bake Trout
4. Repeat this process on the other side of the trout.
5. You will end up with two sides of the meat flat on the cutting board, and the rib cage sticking up in the middle.About.com: How to Clean & Bake Trout
6. Now, remove the rib cage by cutting underneath it.About.com: How to Split or Butterfly a Fish
7. Finally, you will want to remove the bones still remaining in the two sections of meat.Ontario Fly-In Fishing: How to Clean & Bake Trout You can feel them with your fingers.
   • - Try to remove them without cutting through the skin.West Virginia University Extension: Trout Processing
8. Detach the backbone from the tail using a knife, or break it by hand.West Virginia University Extension: Trout Processing
   • - Don't pull too hard when you remove the backbone. It can be removed cleanly with smooth, gentle tugging.About.com: How to Split or Butterfly a Fish

• • NOTE: Butterflying is especially useful when you want to bake your trout.

• Trout fishing is a popular sport, and most people love to catch, cook and eat their own fish. However, many people also choose to buy fresh or frozen trout. Here's what to look for when buying fresh or frozen trout:Post Gazette: How to Choose, Cook Trout

1. The trout should have a clean smell.Post Gazette: How to Choose, Cook Trout Newly-caught freshwater fish should smell vaguely like cucumbers.Advocate Health Care: Fresh Fish Facts
2. The skin should still be shining and attractive. The glisten of a fish's scales indicates how long ago it was caught.About.com: How to Select a Fish - Appearance
3. The flesh should be firm to the touch.Post Gazette: How to Choose, Cook Trout Press on it with your finger and if an indentation stays on the fish, it's not very fresh.Advocate Health Care: Fresh Fish Facts
4. The gills should be bright red. If the fish has been laying out for a while, the gills will be a faded red, like the color of old bricks.About.com: Before You Buy Fish or Shellfish

• Make trout the last purchase on your list, and store it in the coldest part of your refrigerator. Fresh trout should be cooked and eaten within two days.Post Gazette: How to Choose, Cook Trout

1. The trout should be rock hard.Post Gazette: How to Choose, Cook Trout
2. The package should not have any visible ice crystals, which are evidence that the fish may have been thawed and refrozen.U.S. FDA & CFSAN: Fresh and Frozen Seafood Selecting and Serving it Safely
3. The trout should have no white spots, which indicates freezer burn.Kraft.com.au: Fish 101
4. There should be no signs of any thawed juices.Post Gazette: How to Choose, Cook Trout
5. The package should be clean and tightly sealed.FAO Corporate Document Repository: Handling and Processing Rainbow Trout

• Frozen trout can be stored for up to three months, at a temperature of 0°F or below.Post Gazette: How to Choose, Cook Trout

• There are three basic ways to cook trout: Pan frying, deep frying and baking or grilling. You can also microwave trout, but the amount of time and preparation varies widely according to recipe (see below for microwaving recipes for trout).

• If your trout is small enough, you can pan fry the whole thing.Ontario Fly-In Fishing: How to Clean & Bake Trout

1. Cut off the head and gut the fish, as outlined above.
2. Roll the trout in flour.Allrecipes.com: Pan-Fried Whole Trout
   • - For extra flavor, mix your flour with cornmeal and preferred herbs and spices.Recipezaar.com: Pan Fried Trout Recipe Field & Stream: Pan-Fried Trout With Herbs
3. Place the entire fish in a frying pan and fry it at medium to medium-high heat.Allrecipes.com: Pan-Fried Whole Trout Recipezaar.com: Pan Fried Trout Recipe
4. The trout is ready when the skin is golden brown and the flesh is firm and flaky.Field & Stream: Pan-Fried Trout With Herbs Allrecipes.com: Pan-Fried Whole Trout
   • - If you left bones in the fish, the backbone should come out easily once the fish has been thoroughly cooked.Ontario Fly-In Fishing: How to Clean & Bake Trout

• Baked trout is a popular method of cooking that takes advantage of trout's high protein content without introducing too many calories from fat.University of Illinois Extension: Fiesta of Flavors - Baked Trout

1. Butterfly the trout.
2. To keep the fish from drying out while baking, coat the outside surfaces with a little bit of oil.Allrecipes.com: Healthful Ways to Cook Fish Recipezaar.com: Baked Trout with Garlic & Mushrooms Recipe
3. Dust the surface of the fish with a light coating of spices.University of Illinois Extension: Fiesta of Flavors - Baked Trout
   • - Baked trout recipes often also include various stuffings and sauces to enhance the appearance and flavor of the dish.Strawberry Creek Shrimp Farm: Trout Recipes
4. Heat your oven to between 350 and 375 degrees F.Go Trout Fishing: Baked Trout Recipe, Mushroom Stuffed Trout Recipezaar.com: Baked Trout with Garlic & Mushrooms Recipe
5. Bake until the fish is fork-tender.University of Illinois Extension: Fiesta of Flavors - Baked Trout It should take about for about 20-25 minutes.Recipezaar.com: Baked Trout with Garlic & Mushrooms Recipe

• Grilling trout is just as healthy as baking, and can be even be done over a campfire.Ventura County Star: Grill trout instead of frying to cut down on fat (October 8, 2008) The preparation steps will be similar to baked trout.

1. Coat the fish lightly in oil
2. Start your grill at medium-high, or wait until your coals burn down to white-hot ash.Ventura County Star: Grill trout instead of frying to cut down on fat (October 8, 2008)
3. Fillets should finish grilling in about 8 minutes, and whole fish in about 12.About.com: Grilling Trout - Quick and easy, a fish meant for the fire
   • - When grilling stuffed fish, cook for 10 minutes, plus 10 more minutes per each inch of thickness.Ontario Fly-In Fishing: How to Clean & Bake Trout
4. Flip the fish halfway into cooking.Ventura County Star: Grill trout instead of frying to cut down on fat (October 8, 2008)
   • - Use a thin spatula and flip the fish very carefully. The meat will be very delicate as it starts to cook, and prone to splitting open.About.com: Grilling Trout - Quick and easy, a fish meant for the fire

• There are a few general techniques to keep in mind while cooking trout:

1. Do not scale the trout. If you remove the scales, you will also remove the thin coat of jelly around them, which allows you to bread the trout without using any type of liquid.United States Trout Farmers Association: Trout Tips
2. Use very mild flavored oils so as not to overpower the delicate flavor of the trout.United States Trout Farmers Association: Trout Tips
3. Trout should be cooked quickly, at a temperature between 325 and 350 degrees F.About.com: Grilling Trout - Quick and easy, a fish meant for the fire United States Trout Farmers Association: Trout Tips
4. Do not overcook trout or it will become dry. The fish is done cooking when it flakes easily with a fork.About.com: Fish Grilling - Hot and fast, the best way to cook fish

• Below are some recipes to help you enjoy your trout!