wild steelheads

Has anyone caught a wild,native steelhead??? Most of the fish are hatchery stock,but some natural spawning must take place.....frank

ORIGINAL: plugchugger

The only trout native to NY is the brook trout. So the awnser is NO! noone has ever caught a native anything trout other than maby a brookie.

good question though. 

Actually The Brook Trout is not a Trout. They are Char left stranded here in our lakes and streams via the last ice age.

Right on Lucky. The Steel and Rainbows are more related to Salmonoids. Salar and Trutta are closely related too.
I would say there are many reproducing in other tribs., and possibly the SR. After all the Kings do so to some extent.
Would be a good one for King Davey to answer either here, or at the Losa event on the 28th.

Lucky 13, Where did you hear that steelhead and rainbows are classified differantly? Im not saying your wrong I just think you need to support your statement. I have not heard of any classification change and niether has Wikipedia.
 

The rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss), aka redband trout, is a species of salmonid native to tributaries of the Pacific Ocean in Asia and North America as well as much of the central, western, eastern, and especially the northern portions of the United States. The ocean going (anadromous) form (including those returning for spawning) are known as steelhead, or ocean trout (Australia). The species has been introduced for food or sport to at least 45 countries, and every continent except Antarctica. In some of these locations, such as Australia, they have had very serious negative impacts on upland native fish species.
The species was originally named by Johann Julius Walbaum in 1792. In 1855, W. P. Gibbons found a population and named it Salmo iridia, however this name became deprecated once it was determined that this was a population of the already named species.
 
Above statment was copied from wikipeda

Wa"DER"boy,
  I am not debating the point of weather they are trout or not just the fact that L13 stated that steelhead and rainbow differ in classifacation scientifically. If its true Id like to see proof other than a random post from some dude that I don't know.
Here is a list of links that classify rainbows and steelhead the same. I hope that DNR and other biolology related sites qualify as proof more so than wikipidia....
 
MINNESOTA DNR......
 
http://www.dnr.state.mn.us/fish/trout/biology.html
Rainbow Trout:
The rainbow trout, stocked in Minnesota a century ago, has become particularly important in Lake Superior and North Shore streams. Fish living in the lake and moving into streams to spawn are known as "steelheads." They ascend tributaries in the fall and spring, spawn in the spring, and swim downstream to the lake. Young trout remain in the streams for up to three years and then enter the big waters of Lake Superior, where they feed on terrestrial insects, various other invertebrates, and small fish.


Considered neither as wary as the brown or as gullible as a brook trout, the rainbow is prized as a game fish because it fights hard, frequently leaping when hooked.
Rainbows stocked in small lakes may exceed 10 pounds; stream fish rarely grow larger than three. The rainbow has dark spots on a light background. Its back is olive and its side carries a pink stripe. The tail is covered with small black spots. The body of a lake-run fish is silvery.
 
ALASKA DSR.....
 
http://www.adfg.state.ak.us/pubs/notebook/fish/rainbow.php
 
Rainbow Trout

The rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss), is one of the most respected and sought after of Alaska’s native game fishes. Serious anglers from the world over are drawn to Alaska to experience the thrill of challenging this hard fighting salmonid in the state’s wilderness waters.
Rainbow trout occur as both freshwater resident and sea-run races. Sea-going rainbows, known as steelhead trout, are discussed in a separate Wildlife Notebook Series account.
Rainbow trout are native to waters throughout Southeast Alaska west to Kuskokwim Bay, and as far up the Kuskokwim River as Sleetmute. The clearwater lakes and streams draining into Bristol Bay provide outstanding habitat. Rainbow trout occur naturally on the Kenai Peninsula, throughout the fresh waters of Upper Cook Inlet, on Kodiak Island, and in the Copper River drainage. Release of hatchery-reared Alaska rainbow trout has extended the range of resident rainbows to specific lakes and streams in the Tanana River drainage near Fairbanks.
 
OHIO DNR....
http://www.dnr.state.oh.us/wildlife/Fishing/aquanotes-fishid/rtrout.htm
 





Life History Notes:
RAINBOW TROUT


COMMON NAMES: Rainbow trout, Steelhead, Kamloops
SCIENTIFIC NAME: Oncorhynchus mykiss
IDENTIFICATION: Rainbow trout have the typical trout-shape with an adipose fin, and a squarish tail that has black spots throughout. The rainbow trout has 10-12 anal rays and a white mouth and gums (coho and Chinook salmon, occasionally found in Lake Erie, have gray or black gums, more anal rays, and forked tails). Lake Erie steelhead are generally bright silver with a bright pink band. Males develop a hooked jaw known as a "kype" during the spawning season.
 
 
 
HERES ONE FROM SCOTLAND....
http://www.frs-scotland.gov.uk/FRS.Web/Delivery/display_standalone.aspx?contentid=620
Description 
Rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) is a Pacific salmonid species that was first brought to Britain in 1884. Fast-growing and tolerant of crowding in captivity, they are now widely used around the world for fish farming and restocking of angling fisheries. Rainbow trout have a prominently spotted tail and often a wide band of red, pink or mauve along the flanks.
 

Plug I don't see where he says steelhead are different from what is commonly called the rainbow trout. As I read it he is saying that steelhead are know longer classified as trout. Please quote the part in which he states they are different species if I am wrong on this. Since they are at a dna level the same and rainbow trout are now considered a pacific salmon not a trout that means steelhead are also pacific salmon not trout. Just because it has the name rainbow TROUT doesn't mean it is a trout anymore.
The Wa"der"boy was a nice touch. Until you post a quote in which 13 states rainbows and steelhead are two different species I am afraid you have failed the DUH test.

ORIGINAL: Beedhed

ORIGINAL: steelie starter

Has anyone caught a wild,native steelhead??? Most of the fish are hatchery stock,but some natural spawning must take place.....frank

Frank -

To answer your question is a tricky one.Considering the stocking that does take place.Steelhead that are stocked by the hatchery have some sort of fin clip to help determine strain ( chambers creek ) winter steelhead or skamania summer steelhead.Some do have different clips from years past to determine year class.All New York stocked steelhead should have the left fins clipped either left pec or left vent.Or adipose and left pec or adipose left vent or just adipose.Any surplus steelhead that are stocked WILL NOT have a fin clip.So its tough to determine if you've caught a wild steelhead if it does have all its fins clipped.But it's it great to think you've caught a wild steelhead when it has all perfect fins !!

Any steelhead with a left vent clip or adipose and left vent clip or just an adipose clip is a Chamber Creek ( winter ) steelhead.Steelhead with a left pec clip or adipose and left pec clip is a Skamania ( summer ) steelhead.

Hope that helps answer your question .

Beedhed:

The only rainbows that get fin clips are fish that are stocked in the Salmon River (or special study fish)-including Skamania strain.  That leaves roughly 520 thousands unclipped rainbows introduced annually to the population.

Most of the fish I netted/caught this year were clip-less.

waderboy,

Your use of "true trout" is confusing me.  I cannot say a rainbow or cutthroat trout  (Onchoryncus spp.)is a salmon any more than I can say an Atlantic salmon (Salmo spp.) is a trout.  I guess I'm wondering how you make the distinction. 

So you are saying that Atlantic Salmon are trout?  I'm not arguing--you can call them sunnies if you'd like--just trying to understand what you mean by true trout?  I bet our neighbors to the west would have trouble calling the Snake River Fine Spotted Cutthroat a Pacific Salmon.  

You sort of made my point.

If you sepak using common names then you need to be tolerant of connotation.  We all know what we mean by "trout" and "salmon."  If you feel compelled to get specific then stick with scientific terminology--using both in the same sentence will only lead to frustration. 

Thus is why taxonomy was developed in the first place?

BTW:  Cutts, gila, goldens and I'm sure others are in the genus Onchorynchus.  Also--brookies and browns can be cross bred.  Besides--who's to say that at some point rainbows will to be given back to the Salmos?  Taxonomy is ever-changing.

Yeah--Tigers are sterile.  But rainbows and  pacific salmon don't cross breed (that I know of)......

I bet at some point the western US "trout" get their own genus.

To that I can agree!

WoW! 
 
I haven't had time to read all of it!  But, I never said, as Spoonchucker alluded, that Rainbow Trout and Steelhead were classed as different species.  What I said was they are classed as the same fish, but they are classed as Pacific Salmon now (rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss), ) and they used to be classified as trout (Salmo Gardineri (sp?)).
 
WOW!
 
L13

13 you freakin trouble maker! Start a big dust up and then disapear for a week.
Sic um Chrome!
 PS- just a touch of 13 sauce mixed in slaw is a treat for the tongue.