If you plan on filleting a fish and leaving the skin on, you will need to remove all of the scales. For this you could use a knife or spoon but a fish scaler usually works the best. Stores sell fish scalers, but its a waste of money if you ask me, because you can make one very easily.
All you will need is:
- an 8" stick that is strong and about 3/4" in diameter
- 2 beer caps
- 2 small screws
- a screw gun

Step 1: Prepare the Stick

Depending on how fancy you want to make it you can round the edges, add a paracord loop for hanging it up, strip all the bark, stain it, or even shellack it with the bark on. Personalize it how ever.

Step 2: Add the Bottle Caps

Now screw the caps to the stick next to each other at one end to hold them in place. My screws wer a little long so I cut them with a bolt cutter.

Boom you just made a really easy fish scaler.

To use it, rub the bottle caps against the fish's side starting from the tail to the head. Just be careful, fish scales will fly every where and stick to things so I suggest using it outside