Yes. 145°F is my personal favorite temp. The south end of the tail will get higher, and the belly strips (one is missing) will too, but they are very fatty. Some of my friends like a dryer product and I'll go 150° or so on theirs.Thats some good looking fish. Did you take it to a certain IT?
We have 7 or 8 species of trout, and several variations, but have to fish in Idaho for steelhead. I like steelhead for smoking because the thickness is very even, and the fat ratio is good for smoking.Looks great! I’ve caught tons of fresh water steelhead and have yet to smoke any. It’s been a few years since I’ve got a chance to hit the river. The changed the strain they are stocking so our runs have changed from Sept. start to November starts. Used to run Sept into November now November into March.
You need an oily fish. Most steelhead swim out to sea during their adult years and then return to a river for spawning. Salmon are another choice. Trout are less fatty, but have a great flavor depending on their feed.Beautiful. I’ve never been big on freshwater fish, but that looks like I may need to try again. It’s been a few years.