I guess, reading Mike's dismissal of what I'd previously offered, I might offer some clarification. Like all things in fishing, there's more than one way to sharpen a knife (nor is there one template way to sharpen all knives). Having filleted tens of thousands of fish as a head boat mate and commercial deckhand, I do what's comfortable. Really, I do it the way I was taught by a few guys who've worked in fish houses and a couple 40-year veterans in the headboat world. You do need to know what you're after when you put the knife to the stone, or you can literally ruin your knife. Because I use D-R carbon steel knives, which are relatively soft, I've had good luck with a one-sided edge. This way, you're really only sharpening one side rather than trying to renew a "V," a process that's very tedious and yields an edge that rapidly goes away. If you go with the "single edge," it's important to follow the same angle and swipes every time you stone it. Steel should touch up the edge nicely most of the time. Avoid the stone until you need it.
Lesson here: Some topics are good for a chat room, others are not. This one, I think, isn't. Too many angles, variances in blade design, differences of opinion, etc. Sharpening a knife is a "feel" thing, and your best bet is hands-on training, not conjecture or posturing in this forum from self-proclaimed "experts" (like me).
In all honestly, I spend so much time lurking here I thought should man up and post on something.
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