When summer time comes and salmon are starting to run, many people who like fishing visit Alaska. Tourists tend to know when the salmon run starts. This may not be on purpose but they do know the best place to catch salmon is in Alaska.

Alaska’s waters make their tourists get the Alaska fishing guide and provide the tourists the best spots in Alaska for fishing. First, you have to know what kind of fish you want to catch. You can choose from different varieties of fishes like silver salmon, arctic char, steelhead, Alaska king salmon, rainbow trout, or any other fish.

The Arctic, Southwest, South central, Southeast and the interior are the five known geographical places in Alaska. These are the sites where you can maximize your fishing expedition. You have to hire a fishing guide since you do not know the area. They may give the best spots for you and accompany you to your fishing.

There Are Some Things You May Want To Ask From Your Guide.

a) You have to know how long they have been doing their work in Alaska. It is good if they have been staying there for a long time already. The reason is that they have much knowledge about the different yearly cycles of Alaska.

b) Be aware of the time you will spend during the trip. Also, make note of the time that you will need during the actual fishing. The amount that you will pay your guide might only be consumed on the time of the boat ride rather than the fishing itself.

c) Ask how much a particular guide would cost, because they have different rates depending on their skills, experiences and length of stay in their job. A guide that would cost cheaper than the average rate of the other guides might not have enough experience and skills.

d) It is recommended that you have your references. This will help you narrow down your choices in selecting a fishing guide. Most people who have been there are willing to share about how satisfied they were during the fishing vacation. They can also give you some advice on what you need to do during the adventure.

e) Remember, this is a chance for you to ask about particular issues that concern you. Do not hesitate to gather information from your guide. By this time, you should be able to have your final choice for your Alaska fishing guide that will be perfect for your plans and make the most out of your trip !

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Before firing up the BBQ smoker, many chefs will either cure or brine the fish or meat as a way of adding extra flavor.
Curing and brining however have been traditional methods of preserving food for donkeys years and in today’s refrigerated society the techniques and skills have been on the wane. That was of course until outdoor cooking became such a popular recreation. So rather than becoming obsolete they have started to make a comeback.
My research into curing started when I started writing for barbecue-smoker-recipes.com and as my research evolved, so did my interest. Even to the point where I started to experiment with curing and brining simply as a way to preserve food and forget about the smoker.
The science behind curing is that the salt slowly sucks the moisture out of the food, effectively acting as a desiccant and drying it out. Bacteria that normally would grow on the food are unable to do so because the substrate doesn’t contain the one essential ingredient to help it survive – water.
So in essence the longer something is left to cure, the less susceptible it is to bacteria and therefore the safer it is to eat. This is the principle for cured ham or indeed any dried meat.
The curing process today is essentially about salt for the desiccant and sugar for the flavouring. In the recipe below I’ve used treacle as a sugar substitute – you can also use molasses. The flavours are slightly different and I would argue that the molasses is slightly more subtle but as ever, it’s about what tastes good to you.
This recipe is a great tasty alternative to smoked salmon and it’s also really easy to do, certainly no need for a smoker. All that’s needed is a polythene bag, some salt, some treacle (or molasses) and a bit of time. It takes about a week to cure and I like to start out one Saturday so that it’s ready for the next weekend.
Ingredients:-
· 1 large salmon filet (skinned)
· 4 tablespoons treacle or molasses
· 1 tablespoon salt
Method:-
Place the salmon in the polythene bag and tip in the salt and treacle / molasses. Seal the bag and give the ingredients a good “mulch” around to make sure that the salmon is covered in the salt / treacle mix. Place the mix in the refrigerator and leave for a week.
When the week is up, remove the salmon from the bag and give it a rinse under the tap. Slap it on a board and slice really thinly. Please note that in order to slice thinly you need a very sharp knife – remember the sushi chef.
I like to serve it spiralled inside canapé cases with a little crème fraiche blob on top, you can also try it on a small circular cracker. It makes for a really tasty munchie to open up any barbecue cookout. But don’t feel you have to wait for a barbecue, if it’s raining outside that what better way to spend a Saturday afternoon than preparing a treacle cured salmon for next weekend?