I like the dry brine method; (when you must carrry water, you tend to be conservative with the precious fluid) I use sugar and non-iodized fine salt, in approximately equal proportions. I've used as much as 2 parts sugar to 1 of salt...tasty, but molded easily, being so sweet...All kinds of spice may be added; whatever you think might go with fish: pepper, black or red; garlic, soy sauce, molasses, red wine, tomato sauce, dill weed, etc.  I use brown sugar, sometimes; hardly ever make it the same twice! Plain salt is the basic recipe; it tastes just fine made like that!

I remove head, fins, and guts from some salmon, filet them smoothly and carefully; leaving little ragged flappers of fish meat invites souring and flies. I keep the two halves of each fish together, cut both filets into four or five 1-inch-wide strips, and tie matching strips together with  slipknots, in pairs,so a heavy one won't pull its lighter buddy over the board that supports the strips in the smokehouse. I put the twinned strips over a 1"x4" board, tieing them all together with a bow knot (like you tie your shoelaces with) when I get about two fishes worth. (about 20 strips) Fileting the pin bones out is kind of tricky; I'm getting better.

Lay the bundles in a non-metallic pan, with a layer of dry brine 1/2" thick underneath, trying to keep the bundles untangled by placing  half on one side, and half on the other. Sprinkle salt/sugar/spice mix heavily over the strips before you lay the next ones on them; making sure the cure touches all fish surfaces. Leave it like that for about  2 hours; the salt will suck the water out of the fish meat, leaving it kind of clear. Might need to rinse, if there's still grains of salt; just dip it quickly...

Lay the strips over the 1x4s, allowing no fish to touch any other, hang them in your smokehouse to begin the drying process. You may add smoke; I build a little fire of cottonwood driftwood  inside making sure it burns smokily  and poorly. I turn an old wok upside-down over the fire to kind of half smother it.  The temperature should not exceed 75 F!  You don't want to cook the fish, for this recipe... nor should you smoke for more than 48 hours total, it'll be bitter; it'll take five to seven days for the fish to cure.  Check often for mold, souring (your nose will tell you). Blowflies will not be able to lay eggs, once a glaze has formed on the fish, smoke will keep them out until a skin forms. I keep a thermometer that reads outside the smokehouse.

My version, cold smoked salmon (Balik)

It looks so beautiful when it's done, clear and red, like ruby; you can read through it. it keeps for a year almost, but it tastes better if its not dried out completely, which leaves it liable to mold, or sour. The new vacuum packers keep it in the optimum texture for the longest.