RUSSIA

i hear the kamchatka river in russia is one of the best steelhead rivers in the world...huge numbers of fish

Mexico has some steelhead. They've found them in some creek near Tijuana.

Minnesota north shore has steelies. not sure if they are planting them any more, some residuals survive. Also Canada up the north shore of superior and the rest of the great lakes.

Chile!!

There are some on the South Is. of New Zealand I believe. Or where they chinook?

New Zeland scientists did some test tube breeding of some super chinooks if I remember correctly. They were supposedly sterle like triploids, but grew to massive massive proportions. It was in the media a couple of years ago.
As far as steelhead, I don't know. I do know they don't have 'em back home in Hawaii though. Although, these days you never know. If Atlantics are naturally breeding in the pacific...

Rember where all those mid west lake trout, I mean, steelhead came from :p

I live in Michigan and fish most of the Great lakes for Steelhead and the different strains of steel differ in size and fight capabilities.
Here is a link to some of my photos if anyone is interested. GreatLakes steelhead, Kings, cohos, and Browns.

http://img4.photobucket.com/albums/0603/gregknapp/?&action=logout

And Yes Minnesota does get steel, mostly natural small fish.

steeliefreak: I have a question for you. Why do you guys keep such dark salmon? Do you intend to eat them with a spoon? YUCK!!!

don't take offence to this I just want to know.

Hey fishingjunkie15, I do not keep those unless I need the roe then they go to the garden. I might keep a handful of hatchery steel to give away and for the roe and a few browns as well. But mostly catch and release. Yeah I would never come close to eating a big ugly, some of us have standards over here.

There's been a serious catch and keep mentality here, which lessens noticeably every year. I've caught fish here in Michigan and all over the Great Lakes and in Washington and Oregon. Our fish might even fight a little better, given proper water temp. Problem is, the water's 32-33 degrees now, and can creep up into the 60's and 70s in the summer and early fall. They don't fight well anywhere in either temperature extreme.

On an apples to apples basis, your rivers have gradient and velocity, our fish are more muscular. It's a wash, except we have waayyyyy more fish. :p

Doesn't it stand to reason that more gradient and velocity in the rivers here would lead to OUR fish being more muscular? Those GL fish are just fat and lazy. :p

KIDDING

fat and lazy- just like the guy chasing them.

You gotta "be the steelhead", right?

i watched a fishing show this morning, it was some guys on the niagra river, bouncin lead with a gob of eggs just like we do, and they were landin fat 10-14 pound chromers

I've caught steel and salmon from both the PacNW and the Great Lakes, and my best take regarding tenacity of fight is that it relates directly to water temperature; they sure have their optimal temps,
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This might be an interesting site, it talks about the evolution of the the fish that became the steelhead trout. Also the work that is being done to preserve the most southern run of steelhead in the US.

Google search: San Diego Trout

Regards IB

There are some on the South Is. of New Zealand I believe.

Yes there are; I've fished for same on the South Island. (Lake Taupo). As their seasons are just the reverse of ours, they're chasing 'winter runs' when we're chaseing summers.

I have fished them on the North Island of New Zealand in Lake Taupo tribs (Tangariro Taupo River) and also at some creek mouths on the South island. They are beautiful fish, only wish I would have brought my float gear.LOL They are difinately migratory rainbows (steelhead) from the larger lakes.