I posted this a week or so ago in the diy forum- but didn’t get any traction- trying my luck here.

I don't think I can fillet fish on my knees anymore. I wet foot a lot, so many times I'd try to find a ledge rock in 2-3 of water and stand. I've looked at some of the tree tables and have an idea for a variant-

Find two tree relatively close that I can string a strap or amsteel between that would support the front and back side of a fillet board. On the bottom of the fillet board I would have some sort of mini eye ring or cable strap to hold the board onto the rope. My initial idea was to use a rachet strap, but those are bulky and heavy. I've never used amsteel or zing it, but read a lot about it here on the forum. Can you get them tensioned so they don't sag? Likely only a span of 4-5 feet. How do I tension it? would this work?

I'll attach my 3rd grade level drawing as crude example.

Idea could also be for a long table shelf. We cook under a tarp / bug net 99% of the time, so wouldn't work for inside that, but I envision making coffee or oatmeal some mornings on that same idea.

Instead of that, I think you'd be better off making a Torges-style tree seat. If you make it large enough to accommodate your fillet board, I think it would work great. And then you could use it for its intended purpose as a seat as well, if desired. I've made them for deer hunting and they really do work well, and I bet it would be just the ticket as a small table too.

Tree seat

Or if you don't want the smell of fish in your camp, you could just clean in your canoe. Much faster and very little clean up.

Sure, you could get tension with amsteel, but regardless of your span there will be some movement. I would just go find two 2" or so diameter sticks from the woods and lash them to the tree just like in your drawing, place your cutting surface on top creating a table. Just be sure to disassemble when you're leaving the campsite. I'd still cut up fish away from camp, but just my two cents.

I use zing it all the time for tarps and I tension it with hardware, either cheap plastic toggles i buy from ebay , or titanium tensioners from someone like dutchware. You can get it very tight using these, but I still think you would have some spring in the line that wouldn't be fun with a knife in your hand. If you wanted to make a table to just hold something that seems more reasonable and the sag wouldn't be such a big deal.

Dutchware has this "Tree Table" on their website and I've considered getting one before. There are several different brands out there if you look around. It does have some teeth so probably not suitable for hanging on a white cedar but a red or white pine should be fine.

*edit* my reading comprehension skills aren't so great this morning, I now see that you've seen them. For your variation, I think some logs would really help like campnfish suggested because no matter how tight you get that dyneema it's still going to sway. And dyneema tears into bark pretty good when you get it that tight.

I could see your drawing working with a cutting board with metal clips attached to the bottom & something as simple as paracord. I'd add an extra wrap around the trees to keep it from slipping down the tree on each side. Use a truckers hitch for tensioning. I haven't tried it, but it's worth seeing if it would work at home first.

I might use a tray or something with a raised edge to put the cutting board in or just the tray if it is sturdy enough.

I agree with campnfish comments. I’m skeptical that will work without some flex. And his best point is, not sure you want your filet board moving while trying to filet a fish with a razor sharp knife your hand. You could try it at home to check it out. Some legs maybe, but then what is the point of hanging it.

This works well for cleaning them while sitting in the canoe before you get back to camp.

Campcraft: "


This works well for cleaning them while sitting in the canoe before you get back to camp."

What material is this??

I think that it was the fillet away fish mat.

I have done something kind of like this (one tree). Amsteel did not tension well so I switched to cam straps.

Total back saver; works great for clearing fish and is rock solid, even if bumped hard in any direction (top, side, bottom….anywhere).

Am overseas for a few more days; will see if/when I can find some photos…

Edit: I am dumb and tired. I re-read & suspect OP has seen some of the tables folks have made in the DIY forum. And I now remember that one of those is mine:
Tree Table

Another edit to add some more recent pics with the current suspension system. The cam straps are 3/4", not 1", to save weight. A child could certainly sit on it, but I would not try an adult...

I usually carry a clamp board and try to find a smooth rock sloping into the water for easy entry sit at the waters edge were I can stretch out my legs and place the filleting board to one side using a rapala filleting glove on my left hand with the filleting knife in my right hand. If it's a Small Mouth Bass I cut down the back to the end of the rib cage and pierce through cutting the tail loose then whittle around the rib cage. Whittling around the heavy bones helps to keep the knife sharp longer than trying to cut through the heavy bones of a bass and the filleting glove saves the left hand from the knife.

A lightweight cutting board and 550 cord will work well.

KanMopaddler: "

A lightweight cutting board and 550 cord will work well."

I like this, please elaborate! Is this just some paracord and holes drilled near the corners of the cutting board?

Z4K: "

KanMopaddler: "


A lightweight cutting board and 550 cord will work well."

I like this, please elaborate! Is this just some paracord and holes drilled near the corners of the cutting board?"

I would also like to know more - is there a notch? What knots are used?

I would not suggest you use your rope setup. There is too much slack in the cord no matter how tight you get it. Instead fabricate a plywood board that has a cutout for the tree trunk similar to the pictures above. The one’s I’ve made were stabilized with a tree branch to the ground. At the end of the trip you just burn the board in the fire so you don’t have a smelly board in your pack or car.

Savage Voyageur: "I would not suggest you use your rope setup. There is too much slack in the cord no matter how tight you get it. Instead fabricate a plywood board that has a cutout for the tree trunk similar to the pictures above. The one’s I’ve made were stabilized with a tree branch to the ground. At the end of the trip you just burn the board in the fire so you don’t have a smelly board in your pack or car. "

Wouldn't that be considered burning garbage?