Nice fresh wild spring-run half-pounders are in the American R

[steel2theReel]

I hope and still think we may still have some Washougal strain in the American? I have caught several fish like this in July-August over the past years. Not sure what the Washougal strain looks like but these fish were all wild and feistier than hell!
Washougal??

Hi, Mark:

Sorry to get back so late. Been fishing and caught a few Bluebacks.
What you are depicting is probably O Mykiss and other strains just looking at it (not a good judgement without scale samples, of course to the well-heeled in the group ;) ).

Washougals, in contrast, are very snaky, with long slender, powerful bodies. The strain was introduced in the American and abandoned in the late 70s-80s but I can't get them off my mind.

Imagineback in 1980 in 100+ weather hooking 25-30" steelies? It was work, and I used to figure a fish every 8 hours; but what a fish.

I still make an annual pilgrimage to that part of the world to swing for these babies. Floating lines, skaters and POW!

Regards,
Grant

[matt johnson]

[QUOTE=steel2theReel;145052]I hope and still think we may still have some Washougal strain in the American? I have caught several fish like this in July-August over the past years. Not sure what the Washougal strain looks like but these fish were all wild and feistier than hell!
Washougal??

Mark, awesome wild CV steelhead! The Lassen Foothill tribs of the Sacramento River still get a few fall-entry wild steelhead. My bet is that those July-August fish you run into now and then on the American are not remnant Washougals, but are instead fish that have dipped into the American (likely seeking thermal refugia) on their way up the Sac, much like Idaho bound fish do on the Deschutes. Matt

[Bill Kiene semi-retired]

A friend of mine does not fly fish but pulls plugs with his drift boat early in the AM all summer long.

He says in mid-summer they will get some super bright 8 pounders right in those deep fast runs with the fresh summer run salmon.