ADD FRUITY FLAVOR TO STEELIES, SALMON

By Tiffany Haugen

Whether you’re smoking a fresh-caught winter steelhead or making room in the freezer by cleaning out some of those salmon, this is a tasty recipe you’ll love. Smoking salmon and steelhead is still one of our favorite ways to prepare and eat these fish.

A fish marked for “best eating” is also best for smoking. Don’t expect that a dark, freezer-burned fish will be saved by the smoker. Salmon with a high fat content are hard to beat when it comes to smoking fish. Likewise, winter steelhead and any ocean-caught salmon are excellent when smoked.

For this recipe I used a Little Chief Smoker. It’s still a favorite smoker of mine because it’s simple to use and the temperature stays constant. The Big Chief Smoker is also one we use a lot.

When looking to transform a stronger-flavored fish like salmon, think sweet and smokey. Many people who don’t care for a salmon dinner, fawn over smoked salmon, while those who think of salmon as having a “fishy” flavor might change their minds with a fruit-forward recipe. Of course, winter steelhead is more mild, taking on flavors with which it is cooked.

Unique and complex, the subtle smokiness and layered fruit flavors work together to create a very special recipe you’re sure to love.

One large steelhead or salmon fillet

2 tablespoons soy sauce

½ cup grated pear and/or apple

Zest and juice of an orange

3 tablespoons melted butter

1 tablespoon brown sugar

1 tablespoon rice vinegar

½ inch grated ginger root

½ teaspoon dried coriander

½ teaspoon smoked paprika

½ teaspoon salt

Chive or scallions for garnish shots, bank sinkers and cannonball sinkers are all good choices for drift fishing. Many anglers like rubbercoated sinkers that don’t stick to rocks. Experiment with different weights, keeping in mind the amount you use will vary, even throughout a hole. At the head of a riffle you might use ¼ ounce of lead, but as that hole deepens you may need ¾ or 1 ounce of weight.

Remove pin bones from fillet. Place soy sauce in a large casserole pan and place steelhead or salmon fillet meat-side down on top of soy sauce. Let sit at room temperature for 15 minutes. In a medium bowl, mix grated apple and/or pear, orange juice and zest, butter, brown sugar, rice vinegar, ginger, coriander, paprika and salt until thoroughly combined.

Preheat Little or Big Chief Smoker for 10 to 15 minutes. Add alder chips to the chip pan (any flavored chip works, but be careful not to overpower the ingredients with a strong smoke). Place fillet skin-side down on smoker rack. Smoke 30 to 40 minutes.

Remove fillet from smoker and place on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Top fillet with fruit mixture. Bake in a preheated 350-degree oven for 15 minutes or until fillet reaches desired doneness or an internal temperature of 135 to 140 degrees. Top with chopped chives or scallions if desired.

Editor’s note: For signed copies of Tiffany’s popular book, Cooking Seafood, and other best-selling titles, visit tiffanyhaugen.com.

Hook and bait size depend largely on water clarity. The more clear and shallow the river, the more spooky fish can be, so a small presentation is ideal. A size 2 octopus-style hook is good in low water, and upsizing to a 2/0 hook is not an overkill in highwater situations.

If using a drift bobber, like a Lil’ Corky or Spin-N-Glo, make sure they are small enough so they don’t cover the point of the hook, which can prevent a fish from getting hooked when it bites.

Floating Around

Float fishing is another option. There’s no better way to cover large amounts of water than with a float. If fishing from shore or a boat, try suspending a jig or bait below a float. A long 10-foot, 6-inch float rod is ideal as it allows the floating mainline to be mended, which keeps the bobber and terminal gear in good position and moving at the speed of the river.

I like a 30-pound high-vis braided mainline – Power Pro Spectra in yellow is a good option – as it floats and is easy to see and mend. Start by slipping a bobber stop on the mainline, followed by a 3mm bead, then your float. Tie the mainline to a size 7 barrel swivel, attach a 12- to 30-inch leader on the other end, and you’re set. The bobber stop is your depth regulator, thus you can attach short leaders.

If using a ¼-ounce float, fish a ¼-ounce jig beneath it. Eggs, sand shrimp, crawdad tails, pink rubber worms and other baits can also be fished beneath a float. Adding a bit of weight to the swivel or above it on the mainline will help regulate flow rate.

Back In Business

Backtrolling plugs or a diver and bait can be very effective in main currents, along seams and through tailouts. In clear conditions, downsizing the presentation can be the ticket. For example, if the river is high and dirty, a 3.5-inch Mag Lip might be the best choice. If the water is low and clear, downsizing to a less intrusive 2.5inch Mag Lip could do the job.

When backtrolled in clear water, winter steelhead will often spook and drop downstream, holding in the tailout. This means backtrollers will want to run their presentation all the way to the end of the tailout, just above the breaking point.

Changing plug colors and baits is a good idea. I like having at least three colors of cured eggs handy. Orange-, red- or pink-colored cured eggs along with a sand shrimp or dyed prawn tail are good to run behind a diver. Cerise, silver, blue, red and black are solid plug color choices.

Have A Lot Of Options

If you’re new to winter steelhead fishing or looking to expand your approach, there are many options. Don’t forget beads and twitching jigs, which are easy applications to learn and can be very effective. The best way to learn is to get out and fish, so hit the water and have fun this season. CS

Editor’s note: For signed copies of Scott Haugen's popular Bank Fishing For Salmon & Steelhead book, visit scotthaugen.com. Follow Scott on Instagram and Facebook.