I have tried every receipe in the book, purchased three smokers, a little chief, Bradley, and a smokey mountain. God knows how much salmon I've ruined over the past 20 years trying to get it right. I finally brought a load of fish to Brinney Sea in Olympia and had them smoke it for me. The results were the best smoked fish I have ever tasted, far better then anything I've accomplished in 20 years and I didn't have to spend any of my own time doing the work. Give them a try, thier smoked fish is fantastic and they are reasonably priced at $2.50 lb. My smokers are now retired.