Middle Rogue Steelhead/Sea Run Cutthroat

[Langenbeck]

Saturday behind the house hooked & lost a big fish of between 28-30". Hook just pulled out. This AM went wade fishing & caught & released this 12" sea run cutthroat. They are really a pretty fish. Since we are 101 river miles from the ocean I only catch 1-3 per season. Looks like the Rogue will be unfishable within 24 hours as it is currently raining hard and rain is in the forecast through Friday.

[Hairstacker]

Very nice Gordon, that IS a pretty fish. Bet it's even prettier in person.

[OregonSalmon]

Gordon,
Not only a pretty fish, but back in the good old days when you could whack them, great eating. A couple of guiding buddies here will fish them with dries between likely steelhead spots. They believe the 'cuts are making a comeback. Hey, maybe that zero limit rule does work...who'd a thunk it?

[Bill Kiene semi-retired]

I was just on the phone with Bob Borden, owner of Hareline, a major fly tying materials company in Oregon. Bob use to chase those searun Cutthroats some time back but says they declined and he has not been lately. He said there might be a little come back going on now.

I would like to catch just one.

A giant one is anything near 20inches.

I guess they are from our north coast rivers all the way north to Alaska?

[Langenbeck]

Bill: Here is a picture of a 17" sea-run cutthroat that I caught last November just below the house. They are a very pretty fish.

[jbird]

Ive caught about a half dozen in the 21-23" range in the gold hill area. Last year I got one that size and I got the camera out to take a picture. It was then that I noticed I had dunked my camera somehow and it was completely ruined

Here is one from last month that was a solid 18"

[Jasonh]

Those sure are pretty fish!

Jason Hartwick

[Bill Kiene semi-retired]

I hear they are very tough fighters especially on small coastal streams.

[Darian]

I used to catch some Sea Run Cutts in Tillas Slough near the Ship-a-Shore resort on the Smith River at high tide... When hooked, they were out of the water more than in. We used small, bright silvery patterns. Later, I fished for them on the west side of vancouver Island, BC. Up there, they used a bucktail pattern they called a California Coachman (....except for the yellow body, it wasn't anything like the traditional Calfornia Coachman ).... Lotsa fun near the ocean, tho.

[Tony Buzolich]

Just to change the subject a little, do they have a run of browns up there too?

I caught one last year on the Trinity and was told it was somewhat rare.

Do any of you have pictures of sea-run browns that you've caught?
TONY