IMHO taste is a personal thing. Some like chums, some don't etc. But with the annual rush to harvest the Columbia River springers, I was wondering if any salmon is better? It seems to me the Yukon spring chinook might be contenders as they come in the river genetically prepared for the world's longest salmonid journey.

I have never tasted a Yukon spring chinook so, can't offer an opinion. I have tried Fraser River "springs' and can sy they are excellent. So far my favorite remains the Columbia springers. Any thoughts?

I've eaten a lot of fish. I'm actually burned out on salmon. That said I caught and ate my first Columbia springer last year and it totally lived up to it's reputation. What a great eating fish! I'm headed back down there tomorrow.
The amount of oil that comes out of those fillets is amazing.

I'm with you on the CR springers.

The Skok kings come in a close second. The fat just bubbles out of them when you throw them on the barbi.

We ran a fish wheel on the copper river for reds and they were good. Did they live up to the hype?......so say so but I dont know. Must have eaten to many of them.
Springers are good but IMO I have to say that black mouth are the best. We get the 7 to 10lbs out of the canal and straight to the BBQ that night. A little butter, brown sugar, Johnies(sp?), pepper and a covering of onions. Cook quick(less than 10min) on med heat. Leave them a little raw in just middle. Melts in your mouth man. Blackmouth is the best.......yup no doubt about it......the best.

Any fish that is fresh, chrome, firm, and generally caught about now, or close to now is going to be awesome.

Springers, summer runs, sockeye, etc.

I'd almost be willing to wager that if the spring fish were cooked to perfection without *any* additives, butter, oils, sauces, etc, most people would have a hard time telling the fish apart - other than the distinct "oily" flavors of some of the fish (like a springer).

I fresh summer run caught now, or within the next month is awfully hard to beat.

Duwamish river Pink's are my fave ! mmmmmm mmmmmm mmmmmm.

+ 1 I would rather eat a nice lean Coho. I can only eat a few pieces of King a year, the rest gets shmoked. Sorry for the

Technically, kokanee are land-locked salmon and if I could dine on a plate of Lake Chelan kokes cooked on a griddle over an open fire........tops in my book.

Snake

I'll take a nice chrome bright sockeye over any other salmon. Nothing wrong with springers, but I like the deep red firm meat a sockeye provides in a size that cooks up easily. Best tasting IMO.

Dave - Are you sure the Yukon has a springer run? Not sure I ever heard of one, and my experience just south of there was that the kings all came in June - August. As I recall, the chums actually travel the farthest upstream in the Yukon - Wonder how those fish would compare with the chums we get down here. Probably a lot higher oil content.

For me at least, a lot of what makes a meal excellent is the atmosphere, friends, and freshness of the ingredients. Best salmon I have ever eaten was a Port Hardy Coho that went from the hook to the plate in about 20 minutes. Scenery was excellent. Weather was warm. Beers were cold. Fish was fresh. Enjoyed a meal with good friends after a few days of fishing in one of the coolest spots on earth.

Columbia River king is tough to beat for all other times.

I remember Hoh springers were the best, but I have almost forgot what they taste like now.

Puget Sound kings and silvers do not compare to coastal fish in oil content. I eat mostly PS fish now only because I have to.

Marinated in a 5 gallon bucket in their own juices--- so tender it just falls apart.

Freshly Grilled Sockeye filets are pretty tough to beat IMO.
I've had quite a bit of different varieties of Salmon of the same species from different places, and the meals that really stick out in my mind are LW Sockeye off the grill.

Blackmouth comes in at a close second, and Stam's Smoked salmon third.

To my tastes kings are too oily, sockeye are too dry. A nice fresh coho, just right. That's probably why I'll never catch a lot of big kings in area 4 - I can't bear the thought of throwing back legal coho after legal coho to get a nice king and I usually just give up and keep the coho.

+1 Ryley, I need to try a LW sockeye and compare it to our salt-caught Barkley Sound fish.
When I become one of the cool kids, I'll have to sample STAM's smoked salmon done in that old outhouse of his

He had it at the last SRC prefunk, a few big slabs of it on the dining room table. I'm sure you had some, if you got there in time

you might be cool after all

And he actually posted his recipe once. I just did a whole batch using it.
Thanks Stam!

Fraser kings or sockeye have always been my favorite. Although I had some Nushagak King steaks last summer that were some of the best ever. Nothing beats a pan-fried king steak.

You can't copy stams smoked salmon recipe. There are too many variables that go way beyond the marination.... The old shithouse/smokehouse, and bedpan he uses to soak it in are examples. Truly some of the best smoke I've ever had.

I would vouch for the taste of Hoh springers, although I haven't had any in many years.... Any fish (besides pinks) straight from the salt to the BBQ and prepared the proper way is incredible.....

Fras--spring/socks