What was that thing? Mystery fish...

[Tinker]

In the Sixes on Sunday with ultralight spinning gear, I spent the morning attracting the smallest minnows I've seen in years. Around noon, I hooked something considerably larger, got it to the shallow water and gravel before I lost it (barbless hooks).

Looked a lot like a trout. Guessing 5 to 6 pounds and about 18 inches, maybe a tad longer. Wild fish with the adipose intact. Mostly dark green back, silver sides, and spots. Didn't notice if it had other colors, except it had distinct pinkish-orangish tips on the dorsal fin and the tail. Dorsal fin was square - not the shape of a steelhead dorsal fin.

After shaking off, it lazily swam upstream, finned its nose at me and turned around and started downstream. When it passed through the shallow channel, I could see the fins and tail again, and they were definitely rimmed in pink-orange and the back was definitely deep green.

Honestly, if I hadn't seen it up close before I lost it, I'd'a thought it was a carp...

In the Regs, the shape and color of the fins looked near exactly like the illustration of a bull trout, but I was pretty sure that bull trout have white rimming on their fins and tail, not orangish rims, despite the illustration in the regulations.

Any guesses on what this thing was? I'm stumped.

 

[halibuthitman]

sounds like a sea run cutthroat.. their color can vary a great deal depending on what river and how long they have been in the river, a chrome fresh from the sea won't even look like the same fish a month later-

 

[bass]

I agree with halibuthitman, sounds like a dandy cutthroat.

 

[Tinker]

sounds like a sea run cutthroat.. their color can vary a great deal depending on what river and how long they have been in the river, a chrome fresh from the sea won't even look like the same fish a month later-

Thanks! There's supposed to be sea run cutthroat in that river and I wish I hadn't missed it. Karma.

BTW, I think you have the best signature I've seen anywhere at any time.

 

[C_Run]

http://oregonstate.edu/dept/ODFW/conference/cuthist.html

This summarizes the life cycle of searun cutthroat. It says that fish returning the first time average 12-14". Yours must have been one that's made a trip or two to the salt.

 

[Tinker]

http://oregonstate.edu/dept/ODFW/conference/cuthist.html

This summarizes the life cycle of searun cutthroat. It says that fish returning the first time average 12-14". Yours must have been one that's made a trip or two to the salt.

Well, hell, of course it was a whopper. That's why I lost it! Had she been abnormally small, I'd have landed her for sure. No great loss, truthfully - I would have released her anyway - barbless hooks - and getting her as close as my toes was enough fun for Father's Day.

Thanks for the information, C-Run. Every little bit of knowledge helps.