Why We Don’t Filet Our Trout

A good freshwater fish, well-raised, should taste clean and light. It should taste like the water that it has lived in.

In a Recirculating Aquaculture System (RAS), the microorganisms that build up over time become so prolific that they actually affect the flavor profile of the fish. RAS systems are great for production but not great for creating a premium product.

Sending our customers whole fish not only gives them much more to work with, “nose to tail,” if you will, but it also testifies to the fish's life. No sin can hide on a whole fish. Commodity fish sold just in filets allows the producer to cut away things like rotted gills, scarred noses, and rubbed-away fins from poor living conditions.

Nature creates the most premium of products. The closer we can stay to that, the better the fish will live, look, and taste.