Mix water, sugar, and salt together in a large bowl. Add fish and let set in brine for 30-50 min.

Ready the smoker with charcoal and bring the temp up to about 190°F and not over 200 so the meat doesn't dry out.

Grate lemon being careful to rotate lemon as you zest so as to get just the skin and not the pith.

Mix lemon zest with butter and pepper and coat over the outside and inside of the fish.

Slice lemon in to slices and stuff lemon slices with rosemary sprigs into fish.

Once the smoker has reached correct temperature add a cup of the soaked wood chips directly on to the coals.

Right after you add your chips the fish is ready for smoking so place it on a rack in the smoker (or better yet prepare your fish on a smoker grate and just slide the grate back into the smoker) let sit in smoker for 30min opening only to add second cup of chips halfway through.

After 30 min or more importantly once the internal temp of the fish has reached 160°F internally remove fish and let sit for 5 min. Now enjoy smoked rainbow trout