I think we'll have to agree to disagree Sitka, but I appreciate the extra info
A wet brine adds water to the fish. Its the only way the salt gets into the flesh. This water dilutes the natural flavor. And you're right, the longer you brine in a wet solution the more problems it can create. If you cook wet brined meat fast, like a roast, it can actually make the meat moister than non-brined meat... because the wet brine has added water to the meat.
But more water is not what we want for smoked fish. A wet brine adds water to the fish (but will eventually get removed in slow/low smoking). A dry brine does not. It actually pulls water from the fish. And that is the objective in the first place, to dry the fish.
A 90-minute wet brine is also misleading as no mention was made of the thickness of the pieces. Thin pieces can get brined throughout the flesh, whereas thicker pieces will not.
That said I think a wet brine is fine. I just prefer a dry brine myself. I've made smoked fish with dry brine and wet brine and both can work fine. For meat like a roast, I prefer a wet brine and its amazing what you can do with it. But what I've learned is that everyone in my family and my friends that have me smoke their fish likes the fish smoked a little differently. Some like it drier and saltier, and others like it more moist. One style doesn't satisfy everyone.
Let people experiment with smoked fish. Its not the end of the world
