Most Gourmet's say that only a dry brine is suitable for smoked salmon. I disagree, I like a little added flavor including some soy sauce, wine, garlic and pepper. A couple of key things are important no matter which type of brine you use. If you start with bad or freezer burned fish you'll end up with bad smoked fish. The old saying that "it's good enough to smoke" is Bull. The "deluxe salmon brine" recipe that comes with a Little Chief Smoker is good but needs some tweaking. After cutting up the fish and brining it (refrigerated) overnight, I take the pieces out and quick rinse them, then pat dry each piece with a paper towel. If you have the luxury of time, let the pieces air dry for a while. Before putting them in the smoker I give them the "famous Danny Babcock" dose of maple surup. After that just smoke the fish with 2-4 pans of wood then keep the heat going. If things go right the fish should end up with an amber/bronze glaze but still be somewhat moist in the middle. When you get good, you can time the finish product just right for a party and have all the fish consumed right out of the smoker when it is the premium. This recipe also works good for black cod (sablefish).

Good luck!
Beezer