Most guides and fishermen discourage killing more fish than you can reasonably eat, but in November, there is a real possibility of landing a 10-fish limit of trout and they are delicious.
For those who enjoy the taste of slow-smoked fish, the delicate flavor of speckled trout provides a valid reason to keep a full limit for the smoker.
Though a bit time-consuming, the process is relatively simple. Whether you opt for an up-scale, fancy smoker or an inexpensive one from one of the discounters, brining and slow- or cold-smoking a limit of trout fillets will be a treat you can share with the neighbors or horde for yourself.
A good small batch brine for trout is 1/2-gallon of water, 1 cup salt, 1/4-pound brown sugar, 1/2-cup lemon juice, a teaspoon of garlic salt and onion salt all shaken up. Brine typical trout fillets for an hour and air dry. Smoke fillets skin side down at fairly low temperature, 150 to 200 degrees with hardwood smoke for about 3 hours or until they turn a rich, golden color.
Smoked trout are wonderful eaten fresh and warm from the smoker or chilled on a cracker as an hors d’oeuvres. Slow- or cold-smoked fish can be stored a couple weeks in the refrigerator or a couple months in the freezer.
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