Without a doubt, it's Oncorhynchus mykiss.

But the question is whether this fish has spent any time in the ocean (a steelhead) or has spent it's entire existence in freshwater (a rainbow). To answer that question you have to presume that the fish takes on different traits depending on the environment in which it lives.

That's normally not difficult to do. As we all know, steelhead are usually large and silvery while rainbows are small and heavily spotted. But this fish has characteristics of both. Therefore, it could be either. I do not believe anyone can tell definitively whether the fish has spent any time in the ocean based on this one photo. The photo simply doesn't provide enough information. It's large size suggests an ocean existance while the coloration suggests considerable time in freshwater.

Flip a coin.....

Rich,

If it came from the upper reaches of the river I'm thinking of, one whose springs create some pretty cool looking and large residents, then I'd think twice and probably still call it a steelhead.

If it came from any other stream out there, then I'd immediately go to steelhead. Color, spotting, and shape are not what I'd call too "cutthroaty"...

Nailknot,

That is one beautiful fish! I'd go with a cutt/steely cross that one...though I'd love to have seen it up close and personal.

I have a USGS bio friend whose area of expertise is cutthroat/steelhead interbreeding on the OlyPen. I'll point out this thread to him and let him chime in.

Fish on...

Todd.

We caught a fish with Letty that looked like that, she said the bio had been mixing cutts with steels, it was a great looking fish. Dont know about the problems those fish could cause

Ok, I'm going to state definitively that Nailknot's fish is the elusive West slope Atlantic Rainbow German brown Cutthroat Char. Otherwise known as Oncorhynchus Whothefuknosicus.

That's what I was thinking 4salt Rich- thanks for starting this thread. When I landed the fish, I was in a hurry to get the shot and release it. I assumed it was a residulaized/resident rainbow. Looked like a heavily spotted rainbow, not unlike the AK "leopard bows." When I looked at the pics later, my first thought was-- Cutt/Bow. Two casts after that one, I landed a silvery rainbow, about the same size. Certainly cool to bump into these fish occasionally, no matter what their kinky parent were thinking

My 02 cents!
Rich G's fish
Agree with cohoangler - definitely O. mykiss. Typically adult rainbows in our anadromous streams are 14 to 20 inches with only the very rare fish getting to 24/25 inches. Rich reported the fish as being about 26 inches - too large to be a steelhead jack - most likely a steelhead. With a scale sample could determine for sure whether rainbow or steelhead. A resident rainbow in the 2 foot range would likely be about 10 years old and had spawned 4 or 5 times - a steelhead would be only 4 years old or occasionally a year older if it was a repeat spawner.

The green vegetation in the water would indicate a nearby spring type pond/creek thus some interesting things could be happening though without seeing the spring situation I have no idea what the growth potential might be.

Nailknot's -
Also O mykiss. Pretty much the same comments as above. Though if as I suspect the fish came from the South Fork of the **** in the late fall it would be a 1 salt summer steelhead.

The coloration variations of the old O mykiss complex (even in a small area as Western Washington) can be very interesting and confusing.

Tight lines
Smalma

I was always 99.9% sure it was a steelhead, but I thought it would be interesting to see what all of you thought since it was a bit abnormal and trouty.

I'v never heard of a cuttbow befor today.But thats what I'd call it


L J

Thanks Smalma!

Caught a couple of these in a row one day( or same one twice) on the ***** River near ******* ****** State Park below ****** Rock. Both buck steelhead.
Ramprat

I work for a Lodge on Chichagof Island in SE AK and these fish look just like the jack steelies we catch all the time. I think 26" is too large to be a jack though.