Resident Rainbows?

[Tony Buzolich]

The more I think about the "steelhead" question below, the more I think I'd like to call it a trout. A "Football" trout.

I've taken several really FAT trout in the Sailor bar area while fishing salmon and winter steelhead though not the length of these. And everytime I do, one of the guys around me calls it a "Football" trout. Obviously a local moniker for these out of proportion trout. They are common enough to be called this and I'm wondering if perhaps this might be a specific strain of rainbow. The food supply has to be very good and continuous to support such a size. And, maybe they are some of the Nimbus fish that have come over the dam and taken up permanent residence in the river.

In either case, a great fish.
TONY

[Bill Kiene semi-retired]

I would think that for about the first mile below most of these dams on our Valley rivers there can be a population of resident trout.

[steve sullivan]

I would think that for about the first mile below most of these dams on our Valley rivers there can be a population of resident trout.

I think their are most definitely resident trout on the lower feather. I have never seen a resident 20 + inch trout, are they that chrome looking?

One thing to think about is in the spring when the resident trout are to spawn, what is occupying their spawning beds? thousands and thousand of big ol suckerfish. I wonder how much better the resident population would be without the suckerfish?

[Darian]

Interesting thought Steve,.... That subject has come up any times in the past concerning squafish, etc., below the Red Bluff Diversion Dam when Salmon/Steelhead are spawning.....

Short of de-watering the river, there doesn't appear to be any practical solution....

[OregonSalmon]

Geez, does Oregon have to be the leader in political correctness all the time for you southern Heathens??? The term "squawfish" has been outlawed and the critter is now known as a pikeminnow.
On the Columbia, there is a bounty of three bucks for a pikeminnow over eleven inches long. After one hundred you get four bucks a fish, and after three hundred, five bucks a fish!!! I believe the top person last year made $33,000 in six months. The Fish and Wildlife people say it is one of their more successful projects to protect what remains of the runs on the world's greatest salmon producer. Before the dams, this time of year, they would be fishing for "June Hogs", which AVERAGED fifty friggin' pounds. The beasts swam all the way to Canada!!! Now we have to swim to Canada to fish. A world gone mad.

[steve sullivan]

Geez, does Oregon have to be the leader in political correctness all the time for you southern Heathens??? The term "squawfish" has been outlawed and the critter is now known as a pikeminnow.
On the Columbia, there is a bounty of three bucks for a pikeminnow over eleven inches long. After one hundred you get four bucks a fish, and after three hundred, five bucks a fish!!! I believe the top person last year made $33,000 in six months. The Fish and Wildlife people say it is one of their more successful projects to protect what remains of the runs on the world's greatest salmon producer. Before the dams, this time of year, they would be fishing for "June Hogs", which AVERAGED fifty friggin' pounds. The beasts swam all the way to Canada!!! Now we have to swim to Canada to fish. A world gone mad.

HAH!! If they did that in cali all I would have to do is walk over to big chico creek and I would make like $1000 in a week.

The only place I have seen pikeminnow on the feather is in the palm ave area. Actually there are quite a few in that area.