Idaho Steelhead. This native fish was caught in the Salmon River.
Feb 20, 2019 13:25:30 #
Feb 20, 2019 13:25:44 #
Feb 20, 2019 13:25:58 #
Very nice hen. It's so cool how these B-run Idaho summer hogs keep their chrome for so long. I'm sure a fisheries bio could tell me, but I'd wager it has something to do with the distance of their run. Deschutes fish that came into the Columbia at the same time as yours are already getting that deep winter red & green.
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by BlueGold
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by BlueGold
Feb 20, 2019 13:26:15 #
Feb 20, 2019 13:26:24 #
Feb 20, 2019 13:26:38 #
Colour me ignorant, but what's the difference between steelhead and rainbow trout? They look almost identical to me.
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by Stick4444
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by Stick4444
Feb 20, 2019 13:26:47 #
Great question! They are both a trout. The only difference is that a Steelhead runs to the ocean for a few years then comes back. Trout don’t run to the ocean.
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by chobondy
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by chobondy
Feb 20, 2019 13:30:41 #
So it's kindaike a rainbow salmon haha. I thought it might have something to do with the ocean. No wonder I haven't seen any in Alberta.
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by Stick4444
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by Stick4444
Feb 20, 2019 13:30:48 #
Feb 20, 2019 13:31:05 #
Also Atlantic salmon are actually trout ! In any case I think the traditional names are not going away soon so it really doesn’t matter.
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by hawkster1961
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by hawkster1961
Feb 20, 2019 13:31:14 #
They are both the exact same species. For simplicity's sake: Rainbow trout live their entire life in freshwater. Steelhead are rainbow trout that migrate to the Pacific Ocean as juveniles, live out there for a couple years, then return to spawn. Definitions in the Great Lakes region differ (where they were introduced/planted), but this is the definition in their native range.
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by beer_engineer
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by beer_engineer
Feb 20, 2019 13:31:21 #
To be fair, they also go back out into the ocean as opposed to salmon which die after spawning too.
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by St0f89
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by St0f89
Nov 27, 2019 00:01:38 #
FS Digest wrote:
Actually they’re not trout - they’re salmon.
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by snarkpowered
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by snarkpowered
This is not true. Salmon are salmon and Steelhead are trout. They both belong to the same Family, which is Salmonidae but that is the only thing they have in common. Steelhead belong to the same species as Rainbow trout called Oncorhynchus mykiss but but they have different lifestyles. Steelhead are anadromous—meaning they spend part of their lives in the sea before going to rivers to breed—while rainbow trout spend their lives mostly or entirely in freshwater.
Nov 5, 2021 14:49:17 #
Oct 1, 2023 18:12:44 #
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