Cooking times and temperatures for whole fish on the grill? I recently cooked some whole 7lbs salmon on the grill, wrapped in fig leaves, and left them on a bit too long; they were a little dried out.  So, based on the idea that I'm cooking "thick" whole fish such as salmon, striped bass, rockfish, etc., and I want to cook the fish all the way through to the spine, some questions:


What's the best level of grill heat to cook the fish at?
Around how long per pound size of fish does it take at that temperature?
How much cooking time does wrapping the fish (in leaves or foil) add?


I know from online searching that there isn't an easily accessible guide to the above questions, and James Peterson's Fish &amp; Shellfish didn't have anything.  So guides from personal experience are great.
It's best to grill small whole fish, like striped bass or snapper, because the general rule about grilling fish is to do it quickly. Start by cutting 3 deep slashes across the top of each fish, and rub in any spice mixture or lemon zest, etc. that you are using to flavor the fish. Salt the fish lightly both inside and out. Medium-high heat is the best level of grill heat, which means you can hold your hand palm-down an inch or so above the grate for 3-4 seconds without it burning. According to the Jamisons' "Born to Grill", the hand test measures the temperature of the actual grilling surface, not just the air inside the grill. Make sure the grate is well-oiled, so the fish will not stick. Put the fish on the grill, with the tails away from the hottest part, so they don't burn. Cook 8-10 minutes per inch (not per lb.) of fish, but only 6-8 minutes for tuna and salmon or they will overcook. Add 2 more minutes per inch when cooking in foil or banana leaves. It's best to check for doneness by flaking the fish with a fork.