Sometimes we get a nice surprise on the end of our lines while out steelhead fishing. Whether swinging or nymphing there is always the chance for one of our resident fish to make a slow day winter steelhead fishing a whole lot better.
Besides being fun to catch our resident rainbow fish are important for our steelhead fisheries. Recent studies have shown that up to 40% of the returning steelhead have at least one parent that was a resident rainbow. Pretty hard to believe but just another reason to treat them gently, keep them in the water, and release them quickly.
Here’s a recent resident rainbow caught on one of the Strait streams that closed January 31st.
Strait of Juan de Fuca Resident Rainbow