When do they consider them Steelhead?

[salt_flytyer]

Had some thought and rivertalk about this one. In the mid-West they sometimes consider lake run Rainbows, Steelhead. Here in Central Oregon on the Deschutes we get some big bows that come up the arms of the reservoirs and have no chance of making it to the sea. They are similar to steelhead and as they can get really big, shiny as chrome and fight like hell, but to me a Steelhead has to hit the ocean! I think the regulations in Oregon say something about over 21" they are considered a steelhead in rivers. In the mid-West do they still call lake runners Steelhead?

This may stir up some controversy, but hey? Do they possess the same gene? Do they have to hit the salt? ect...

Attachment 5694 Attachment 5695Attachment 5696Attachment 5697

We also get some big Browns too
Attachment 5698

Regulations that say "over X inches are CONSIDERED steelhead" are BS. What they mean is "the only way for us to KNOW if they are actual stealhead is to take a sample, and the average fisherman obviously isn't equipped to do this".

Take a stream that is connected to the ocean. Rainbow A and Rainbow B have 1000 off spring. Offspring 34 is lazy and stays in the river. Its sibling offspring 56 heads to the ocean and stays in the ocean for 2 years before returning to the river. To the best of my knowledge Fisheries biologists cannot explain why 56 heads to the ocean (and becomes a steelhead) and 34 stays where it is (and stays a resident rainbow). As far as biologists know, 34 could of decided to go to the ocean and be a stealhead and 56 could of stayed. It is all whatever the heck the fish decide, and it is not determined.

And to reterate, regulations that say any rainbow over 16 inches or over 20 inches does not mean that those fish are ACTUALLY steelhead, they just mean "LEGALLY speaking, and for purposed of the regulations, any rainbow over X inches is to be considered a steelhead", because to actually determine if the fish is a steelhead would require taking a tissue sample, which is not something the average fisherman can do.