Ultimate trout knife

Hi im looking for a fillet knife to take on fishing/camping trips. I grew up using western style flexible fillet knives but resent have been experimenting with i deba for larger saltwater fish (tuna, kingfish, wahoo, barramundi) and im enjoying it. I will be doing much more freshwater fishing in the next few years and after discovering *** knives i really dont want to go back to the el cheapy rappalla. I have looked into high end western type fillet knife most being made out of AEBL stainless steel, but i cant stop thinking that the powder metal steels such as r2, SLD or cowxy have the advantage. Fish scales and bones can dull many knives quite fast and i am looking for a knife that can hold up to 50ish fish (more would be better) before it needs resharpening.

How would you design the ultimate fillet knife for small fish (3-6 trout type fish)?

I am currently debating picking up a 150mm petty and building a leather sheath or going custom.

For a very nice western style filet check HHH Knives and/or pm him. He recently did a run of beautiful and functional filets and may have an extra laying around.

For a J Knife for small fish there are small Deba - ajikiri (sp?) . My first choice would be one of these in stainless. A Petty or a Hankotsu probably would not have enough ass to it for lots of fish but I would use either for a day trip.

And you've got to get rid of the scales first. Even if its only with the back of the knife.

Hi dave, thanks for the response. I do descale fish before filleting but depending on the fish species it can be difficult to get them all off. I originally considered a ko deba but im not so sure the single bevel would have as good edge retention as a double.

@Stimpy, What kind of trouts are you talking about since you need a Deba for filleting..?
I'm asking due to curiosity since I do some trouts fishing in the mountains, hiking and flyfishing, here in Greenland and I have newer cached a trout (char) that big that I had to use a heavy knife like the Deba the filleting it..
I have been looking for a pocket knife with a flexible blade to take with me instead of the 8" filet knife I'm using now, so I'm going the opposite direction, knife-wise, and is curios because I may ahev overlook a reason for purchasing an extra knife..:O

A lot of us never filet small trout. Just clean and prepare. The filets will usually come off with a butter knife after they are cooked. 50 trout? Either the limits are a lot higher where you are or you intend to got several fishing trips between sharpening.

I've never filleted freshwater trout. Just cleaned them with one slit up the belly and one through the tongue. Then reach inside the tongue flap with my thumb, putting my thumb in the gills, and rrrip it all comes out in one piece.

A honesuki would probably work well for filleting.

Cheers,

Rick

Sounds like you need true Japanese Funayuki. funayuki is technically a thinner, lighter deba design for filleting smaller fish, Most Funayuki knife as a single bevel knife, however, in the tosa region, it is a double bevel knife. My Tosca 165mm funayuki has 70/30 asymmetric bevels. It also working great as a utility knife.
http://global.rakuten.com/en/search/?p=2&k=舟行包丁&l-id=search_regular&tl=558944
Don't mix up the true Japanese Funayuki with US made Funayuki knife, those basically just Funayuki shape petty/ gyuto.

thanks guys, looks like ill have some more reading to do!