We build a primitive bushcraft fish smoker for preserving wild caught rainbow trout using trembling aspen trees that we find at the edge of the lake in the far North of Canada. Mystery Tackle Box: https://mtbfish.com/bearded-woods [Use Code "BEARDSMAN" for your discount!]
The fish is smoked on a light fire, hot and cold smoked, with a few dry logs and wet black spruce. We also throw in a few green alder branches as well to get the fresh caught rainbow trout fish full of great flavor.
A fish smoker is a traditional way to preserve fish for the long term when done using very small amounts of heat, that is, cold smoked. When a fish is hot smoked, or cooked fully, it tends to trap more moisture inside the fish making it more susceptible to spoiling in the long term. The cold smoking process is a great way to keep fish ready to eat even if you have no means of keeping your fish cool for preservation. No salt or spices are required, but your choice of spice often enhances flavors imparted by the smoking process.
Our ancestors would have smoked fish year round, but it would have been a full time job in the fall months so that fish could be eaten throughout the winter.
