Thank you all for the input... it's been a very lively conversation, and very informative.
I live in Las Vegas, so there's not a lot of fresh fish available locally. I spotted the frozen (already cleaned) smelts at one of the local Chinese markets. I've had them fried and always enjoyed them so I figured I'd try smoking them. I brined them for 1:15, which in hindsight was too long; they are very salty. My basic brine is 1 gal. water 2 cups kosher salt, 1 cup brown sugar and a bunch of spices. After brining I rinsed the smelts with fresh water. I smoked them at 170 degrees for 2 hours and used hickory chips for smoke. I added the hickory chips at the start and then added some at about 1:30, which again with 20/20 hindsight was too much. They were so strongly flavored that I actually rinsed them with freash after they cooled and allowed them to air dry for a couple of hours. they are firm but not quite what I'd call "dry" (I read of folks who smoke them 'till they're completely dry, 12-24 hours). I think that the brining should be limited to about an hour, maybe cutting back a little on the salt (possibly because I'm getting sea run smelts and they're naturally saltier?) and smoking to 1:30 or a little less. I also would not use hickory again, the next batch will be apple or maple. I'm eating them anyway and will try another batch in 2 weeks; I'll let you all know how I do on the next batch. Thank you all again. Happy Smoking!
