Fish ID?

[yearofthescud]

Hi all,

I've been up to Fall Creek a couple of times recently (including today), and pulled this beauty (plus like 20 6-9" cutthroats). The colors seemed a bit different than what I'd expect for a stocker rainbow; is this just an old holdover, or is it a smallish steelhead? (It's a bit hard to tell in the picture, but this fish was about 14".)

Hoping to get out a few more times in the next couple weeks. Anyone been up to the small streams around Oakridge lately? I'm mostly curious if the flows are more wadable, especially for the ones without a USGS gauge.

 

[O. mykiss]

With how bright it is, it looks like a steelhead smolt.

 

[rogerdodger]

I agree, bright shiny rainbow, most likely one that heads for the saltwater.

 

[troutdude]

If it's a resident / natural / native fish...it's a 2-year holdover. The bands at the end of the tail fin shows 2 "stripes", from lighter to darker. It's kind of like counting the rings of a tree, to gauge its annual growth.

At least that's what Cheri, at the Lake Stop store near Hagg Lake, told me several years ago. But I'll defer to @rogerdodger (or others with more knowledge than me); as to the accuracy of such a measurement.

 

[yearofthescud]

Thank you all for your replies. Sounds like my initial reaction was right - a beautiful, special fish for sure, probably a steelhead!