Gallery No.1: Fishes | WINGATEFULLER.com

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STEELHEAD TROUT: Other than the cutthroat trout, rainbow trout are the only native species in North America west of the Rocky Mountains. In the streams and rivers on the west coast of the United States, the rainbow trout make their way to the Pacific Ocean at about 3 years of age. They grow quickly in the rich salt environment and return to the waters of their birth to spawn every year. Unlike salmon that die after the spawning ritual is completed, steelhead can return to their spawning grounds year after year. They are very hard to fool with a fly and can rip the rod out of your hands if you are not paying attention. The photo is a 34 inch steelhead taken on a fly and released unharmed in the North Umpqua River near my home in Oregon. Fly rodders from all over the world come to this magnificent fishery to try their hand at landing a North Umpqua steelhead. The preferred equipment includes a two handed rod as shown in the picture.

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