You might consider buying one of those "fillet gloves", if you intend to use a regular filet knife & fear doing more filetting of your hand/fingers, than fish. Be aware, though ... they are NOT intended for use with a elec knife !!!! And, I can't even guarantee that they'll protect you from a regular filet knife, as I've never used one (since I use a elec knife on any fish I clean, regardless of size). I just remember reading the package disclaimer, that says it's not for use with a elec knife !!

Don't try to filet in record time. Take your time & perfect your technique, first. Speed will come with repetition, once you've figured out what techique works for you.

You probably already know this, but .... I've seen so many people cleaning fish & making an almost 90deg cut down the side, that I feel it worth mentioning :

When running the knife under the gill plate, to cut the fillet/side of the fish off ... I start by entering the middle of the knife blade under the gill plate, & cut in until I hit backbone. Then, I roll/curve the knife around the gill plate & up over the eye of the fish ... then roll/turn the knife blade under & back towards the tail. This cuts off an added nickel to quarter sized piece of meat (depending on size of fish), on each side, that many people just leave on the carcass. banghead
I've seen so many people just make a straight cut down the side of a fish, that I have to bite my tongue & stick my hands in my pocket to keep from "saying something" or snatching the knife outta their hands & filleting the fish for them Rofl .... but, since not everybody is accepting of "constructive criticism", been doing it that way forever, and/or "prefer" to do it that way .. then I just stay out of it & teach by example (since I know that people "watch" other people, when they're cleaning fish ... not only to check out the size of the fish, but also to mentally critique their cleaning technique)

Now, as I said ... I use a elec knife, so the cutting technique I explained above is in reference to using the electric version. However, even when using a regular filet knife, making the cut run above the eye will still get you a good % more meat ... and may even out any loss caused by an errant cut, elsewhere.

... cp