Rule one: a clean, hot grate
Fish welds itself to residue and to cold metal. Scrub the bars until they shine, then get them properly hot before the fish goes anywhere near them. A clean hot grate forms a natural release layer; a dirty cold one is glue.
Rule two: oil the fish, not the grate
Oil brushed on the bars mostly burns off before the fish arrives. Oil rubbed onto dry fish skin is what actually prevents sticking. And it must be dry skin: pat the fish completely dry first, because surface moisture steams and grips.
Rule three: leave it alone
This is the one people cannot manage. Fish sticks when it goes on and releases itself once the skin has crisped. If it resists when you try to lift it, it is not ready. Wait another minute and it will let go on its own. Almost all tearing comes from trying to move it too early.
A grate coated in burnt pork or chicken fat is exactly what fish skin sticks to. Cook fish before anything fatty, on a fresh clean grate, and half the battle is already won.
When in doubt, use a basket
A fish basket removes the problem entirely and makes turning a whole fish trivial. Oil the basket as well as the fish. For delicate fillets or a nervous cook, it is worth owning and no shame at all.
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