in praise of white spring!

[jeff candy]

I just love 'em for table fare, but I finally got to empty my freezer out and have quite a few fillets vacuum packed from 2 yrs ago and was able to salvage probably 75% of the meat. I'm just doing a batch of candied salmon I wouldn't use them for the table but good for this. The red and the marbled far less so

 

[scott craven]

Not a big fan, just my opinion.
too oily and strong smelling but, everyone likes different stuff.

 

[Rain City]

I jarred some last year and the wife won't eat it. She says it just tastes like stinky white fish and not that "Salmony". She didn't mind it candied but still prefers reds. I think it's the chinese in her that thinks it looks like it's cheaper lol. I mean **** they go nuts over abalone. ABALONE?!

 

[BCI]

Worth a read;

https://www.theglobeandmail.com/lif...y-redder-is-no-longer-better/article14059780/

 

[fish brain]

I'm with you @jeff candy . My whole family thinks white spring is a treat. My wife is always excited when I bring one home, and as you may know ---Happy wife=Happy life!

 

[Bugs]

We love cold smoke.... and a bigger white spring is a treat cold smoked... pearlescent flesh when you slice it, amazing flavor. I prefer to red for taste and aesthetics. Now if only I could catch one more frequently than every 3 years!

 

[searun]

I will take a white any day over a red, but only ocean caught fish. Once they hit fresh water they turn sour. I've gladly swapped a big red for a small white when guys said they were disgusted with their catch.

 

[Stosh]

Hot smoked whites are the best - I sure miss them
Stosh

 

[Rayvon]

I've had good and bad white and red.I'm not sure anymore if colour has anything to do with taste.

 

[UkeeDreamin]

It is stock dependent, there is a world of difference between “upriver” whites, like Quesnel Chinook vs late-returning, lower river whites like Harrison’s.

Just finished smoking a batch of early white chinook, it’ll be some greasy goodness. Definitely one of my faves!

Cheers!

Ukee

 

[wildmanyeah]

It is stock dependent, there is a world of difference between “upriver” whites, like Quesnel Chinook vs late-returning, lower river whites like Harrison’s.

are you comparing fish that are coming back to spawn? I caught a 3 year old white from the chilliwack in april in the ocean. Probably one of the best fish i have eaten.

I find if you want your whites to last longer in the freezer then cut off that fat, they have a lot more fat and it brown pretty fast in the freezer.

Sockeye can have a lot of that brown fat that turns nasty pretty fast too.

 

[UkeeDreamin]

Agreed. I find in general chinook is my favourite fresh and still good after 2-3 months vscuum sealed in freezer but, like you, I find the high oil and fat content makes the bellies and brown meat go “off” even with the best vacuum seal. Just means I skin and trim chinook after a few months in the freezer.

And yes, was referring to returning adults, feeders are usually prime fish regardless af stock, but of course dependent on there feed (eg oily fish vs krill vs squid, etc)

Cheers!

Ukee

 

[SteelyDan]

White spring roe is dynamite coho bait in the fall. The rest, give it to the neighbors imo lol

 

[UkeeDreamin]

If you’re giving away a mature fall Harrison/Chilliwack white spring, fair enough but, if you give away a short, fat summer football that happens to be white, you’re giving away some of the best quality salmon anyone could hope to get!

Cheers!

Ukee

 

[Whitebuck]

Early and mid summer Fraser white stock are some of the best tasting fish out there.
Any of the fall HW white hatchery or wild stock as gross.
As ukee said...some of the best tasting springs were the early may whites from the Fraser.

 

[Rob H]

My wife and I both like winter through mid-summer whites the best for fresh eating (caught at Sooke vicinity). I also prefer them for smoking, even the late season whites are great smoked.
...Rob

 

[Pineapple Express]

I've caught a few Capilano whites and haven't been all that happy with the taste. But the last Cap white I caught in September this year was absolutely delicious! I dunno how to know if the fish will taste good or not before bonking...???

 

[Reeltime]

Early to mid summer marbled whites absolute game changer for smoked fish, has a moist tuna like clean taste
the red meat salmon has a sweeter taste, for the longest time i hated whites but that came from catching the
late cap fish in the salt and fishing the rivers back in the day and seeing how they turned, now i trade..

 

[Stosh]

Wish you would all shut up about whites. I’m drooling. Haven’t had one in a couple of years.
Stosh

 

[Kildonan]

I didn’t get a white or a marble this year. :-( I like the whites. I like a feed when they’re fresh then I freeze and smoke the rest later for Xmas feasting.