Fish-On! Chapter 2

Rainbow Trout (salmo gairdneri)

Steelheading conjures up visions of remote, fog-shrouded coastal streams, snow-capped mountain scenery, and damp, cool weather. And winter steelheading on the West Coast often encompasses all of this. 

The rainbow trout, especially in its sea-run steelhead form, is as spectacular a fighter as the Atlantic salmon. But the Atlantic is a rare species, expensive to pursue recreationally. The steelhead, on the other hand, is a fish for all of us with thinner wallets and limited free time to fish. And unlike the present depressed state of most of the world's Atlantic salmon fisheries, steelhead stocks are healthy enough to sustain heavy public fishing pressure. There are exceptions, especially in its home range, but in general it is possible for the average angler living on the West Coast or around the Great Lakes to enjoy a day's steelheading with a minimum of expense and within a few hours' driving distance.

What is this fish that entices anglers to stand in a frigid river for hours on end, often with ice forming in the rod's guides and snow an ever possible threat? Let's examine this unique and adaptable species closely.

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