Nothin like watchin a couple good ol' boys packin off a couple old boots. Its amazing to see people keeping dark fish whatever the species is. The moral of the story: Go to the salt if you want fresh fish.
Chrome

Chrome 454;

You dont have to go to the salt to get bright fish. This was from a river and it tasted GREAT!

surecatch,

that fish is the exception, not the rule...dark skanky chum is dark skanky chum, no matter how much salt you put on it before it goes into the smoker...

Chum are cheaper than hamburger in the store.

I read an article once that reted chum salmon as the best eating salmon out there!The article originated on the east coast

I ran into a bach of chromer at the begining of the season and kept two.I smoked them up and brought them to chelan to give away to a few friends.They were actually very good,but,like I said you could hardly find a bar.

My experiances as a kid taught me there is a very fine line with those fish.I believe that the fact that they only use the lower few miles of a river to spawn atributes to there meat breaking down.It wasn't the flavor of those boots it was the texture that turned me away.

They are a blast to catch though!

Surecatch, I know a spot that should be doing just about that quality of fish right now!About eight miles or so down from the steelhead camp ground.

Metalhead Mojo: You are right that skanky fish is NOT fit to smoke, and that goes for coho
and chinook too. My point was that we shouldn't generalize. Some chums are excellent. Don't judge then all by the Hoodsport boots. I know of several rivers where they come in chorme bright. other where a bright fish is a major rarity. Must be genetics Iguess.