When do they consider them Steelhead?

[luckie88]

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...

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We also get some big Browns too
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[Steven McGarthwaite]

Some trout species are split between those that have the DNA for heading to the Oceans or Large Freshwater Regions, as part of their life cycle, while other trout of the same species, remain in the the same stream or river where they were born. Sea going Brown Trout are commonly called Sea Trout, Sea going Rainbows are commonly called Steelheads, while the Sea going Brook Trout (I include them even though they are not truely Trout related to directly to the Salmon Family) are called Coasters. I really do not know anything more on the subject.

[billhouk]

I think the act of going out in to the larger bodies of water (for rainbows) is called smolting. The juvenile fish adapt to salt water if they move in to the ocean. The other thing that occurs as they smolt and while they are in the lake or ocean is they loose the rainbow colors and become silver on the sides and steel gray on the top and on the head. That is why the rainbow variety is called steelhead. I've been studying up for my first steelhead trip this fall or winter here in Indiana or over in Ohio. So I'm no expert.

[24mileboy]

I believe that in Idaho a Rainbow over 20" is considered a steelhead.

[Wes]

I believe that in Idaho a Rainbow over 20" is considered a steelhead.

there are plenty of rainbow in idaho over 20" that aren't steelhead and if they are to be considered as steelhead then every angler would need a steelhead permit. if you mean to be counted as a steelhead when completing a steelhead card in waters that support steelhead habitation then the fish need to be 20" or more. steelhead in the west are anadromous, migrate from fresh water to salt water then return to fresh water for spawning. i suppose indigenous rainbows could be called land locked steelhead much the same as the land locked salmon of the north east usa. the moniker steelhead could well be from fishermen that found the jaw bone of steelhead to be more boney than most other species and very difficult to hook and hold. other pseudonyms iron head, iron jaw.

[Kerry Stratton]

There are no genetic differences between steelhead and rainbows. They are the same fish. From the spawn of an ocean going steelhead could come a fish that stays resident in the river, never going to the sea and on the other side of the coin from the spawn of a resident rainbow some may decide to head to the ocean. What is the difference?

[Slate_Drake_9]

I guess it comes down to you call them whatever makes you happy. All have their place, but usually don't mix well.

From the people I know and fish with, I think there are three general types of folks who would want the fish labeled different ways.

"Real" Steelheaders = guys who swing wet/spey/dee flies to real steelhead that came from the ocean and live in Pacific Ocean drainage rivers. One fish a week is great. Tradition means a lot to these folks. Wouldn't be caught dead calling a lake run rainbow a steelhead. Won't consider a fish a steelhead unless it's wild. Otherwise it's an ocean run rainbow. Usually pretty hardcore and misunderstood by other anglers who don't share their passion. Probably wearing a Filson or Barbour or some other waxed cotton wading jacket with some wool underneath. Will change out of these clothes at their parking spot along the river before they go out for dinner.

"Extreme" Steelheaders = anglers that think they live on the edge (usually the edge of a great lake and consider themselves HARDCORE ). Extreme sports type of mentality that bleeds into their fishing mentality. Use phrases like "that's ballin" "dude" "sick" "fo shizzle" etc. Do whatever it takes to catch big numbers of steelhead, because that's what matters > how many you catch. Probably have a picture of every fish they've caught (probably carry these around as proof.) These folks use beads as flies, among other things many fly fishers or state fish commissions wouldn't consider a fly. Goretex, fleece and hi-tech gear are a must to be successful. That waxed cotton stuff and wool is just too heavy and outdated to wear. They'll wear their fishing clothing into the restaurant after the fishing is done so folks will know they were steelhead fishing when they see them. Large arbor reels. They don't have any idea what an 8 weight fly line is, because they only refer to lines by weight in grains. Fly boxes full of the newest cutting edge fly patterns and probably none of the old standards because those have been seen by fish before and aren't any good anymore. Listening to their ipod or mp3 player while they fish. Tube flies. Every rainbow caught is a steelhead. Smaller ones are just smolts. Have never smelled a steelhead river, let alone fished one. Probably don't know their flyfishing history and will just reply with a blank stare when you talk about it. Just don't understand the "real" steelheaders.

And then there's the rest of us who just don't care that much and like to catch fish on flies and have a bit of each of the above in us. We'll call it a steelhead when we fish with our extreme steelheading friends and call it a lake run rainbow when we fish with the real steelheaders. We'll have a blast catching them, no matter what they're called.

[Mike Thomas]

Well I am heading down to Turangi tonight to fish for Lake run Rainbows, so I guess I can call them Steelhead and feel like I am at the edge Dude!
All the best.
Mike

[Wes]

what i should have said is...not all 20" trout in idaho are considered to be steelhead for the purpose of counting a limit of steelhead during steelhead season.

[Jayatwork]

Actually smoltification is the process of the fish adapting to salt water. By my definition, a Rainbow that has undergone smoltification has earned the title Steelhead. A Rainbow that migrates to a freshwater lake (no matter how big) and returns to a tributary to spawn doesn't qualify. But I don't really care what anyone else calls them. Great Lakes Steelhead is fine with me.