Gink and Gasoline
Steelhead
Gink & Gasoline
The relationship between steelhead and resident rainbow trout is one of the most fascinating in nature.
There is, of course, a huge argument between anglers over the nature of steelhead and trout, which brings with it a fair amount of animosity. The fish themselves, however, apparently have no such prejudice and it turns out that steelhead anglers owe a great debt to the resident rainbows. Without those trout, we would likely have no steelhead left.
Steelhead and rainbow trout are genetically identical. There is no debate over this, it’s a fact. The two are separated by behavior only. If a trout runs to the ocean and matures there, they are considered a steelhead. If they stay in the river, they are a trout.
There is an interesting thing which happens in the selection process. Whether or not a fish migrates to the salt is determined by the rate at which they grow, which is determined by their individual metabolism as well as environmental stimuli. If a fish develops a certain amount of fat by a given age, hormones are triggered which tell the fish to stay put in the river. This is generally the case with fish who have slower metabolism and abundant food. Those fish will be resident rainbow trout.
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