Scales On Atlantic Salmon

I heat a spoon and go over them prior to sealing.

 

I have not had that happen, I iron down the rough scales and then seal with shelac sanding sealer. Did you use waterbased paint and applied too wet of a coat?

 

I’ve had good luck with a soldering gun med heat
Or a wood burning iron

 

Strip the fish cause not much is going to fix an issue like this that’s already painted and you’ve tried the above methods.
After that clean the skin well and dont be afraid to rewet that area and use some plastic wrap and floral tape to aid in setting them down till it dries.
Now your next goal should be is learning to carve a body better to stop scales from popping. We can see that the anatomy isn’t correct which in then causes these issues.
Start correcting and you’ll have skins that will be a pleasure to work on.