I suppose we should start with the obvious question: What is a steelhead?
The short answer is: The very best fish.
The longer answer is: A sea-run coastal rainbow trout. You heard that right, rainbow trout. Genetically they are the same fish. But not all rainbows are steelhead. In coastal rivers, a percentage of rainbow trout never leave their home rivers, while others turn tail and swim for the Pacific where they will spend the majority of their lives bulking up. After 2-3 years at sea, these migratory ‘bows return to the rivers of their birth to spawn as the chrome-sided ass-kickers we know as steelhead. Unlike salmon, who are one hit wonders, steelhead that survive the gauntlet of fishermen, dams, and predators will make this journey several times in their life.