Fillet Fish:  Leave the skin on, and cut into strips, if desired. Wash any residual slime off the skin.

Prepare Brine:  In a large bowl, dump in the berries and smoosh them up with the backside of a ladle.

Whisk together the water, salt, and brown sugar. 

Immerse the fish in the brine, cover with plastic wrap, and store in the fridge overnight. Save some of the brine for basting, if needed.

Smoke Salmon:  Set your smoker to low (175 degrees).  As it heats up, remove the fish from the brine and set out in open air on a plate or sheet.  Let the pieces dry until they become tacky—a slight stickiness that indicates excess moisture has left the flesh.

Once the fish is tacky and the smoker rolling, load it up on the smoker. Place some of the blackberries on top and close the lid.

If needed, to keep the salmon moist, baste it with a little of the reserved brine. Check after 2 hours; may need up to 3 hours to smoke.

For the perfect cocktail smoked salmon texture, pull off the smoker as soon as the flesh starts to flake easily, but it is still moist inside.  For a harder, more preserved smoke for trail and boat snacks, give it another hour or two.

Serve on your favorite cracker or baguette slices.