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Old February 7th, 2004, 11:41 PM
Sierra fisher
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Default question about steelhead rainbow and rainbow

To some extent, the color of the meat in fish is determined by what they
eat. Trout that eat a lot of shrimp (and scuds) have pink meat. Trout that
eat mostly aquatic insects have white meat.
However salmon and steelhead are invariable pink or slightly orange. If you
eat steelhead that have been in fresh water for months eating mostly
insects, they are still a light orange. . It is arguable about how much
steelhead eat after they enter fresh water. However they eat enough that
you can catch them a nymphs and occasionlly dry flies
Salmon eat nothing once they come into fresh water: some people believe that
most salmon are snagged because it is impossible for them to eat after they
have been in fresh water for a day or so.
Trout that go to the ocean are usually called "sea run trout". there are
types of cuttthroat and rainbows that spend some time in salt water. they
are different than steelhead.

I read and I cannot remember where, that when settlers originally traveled
to the west coast and discovered "rainbows", they had difficulty moving them
to new streams because they wanted to return to the ocean. Finall The
McClaod and Eagle Lake strains were found which did not have this tendency.
Most planted fish now come from these strains.

"Steve_sullivan" wrote in message
...
Why are steelhead rainbow pink and resident rainbow white? (the inside
meat).

--
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deserves neither liberty nor safety. Ben Franklin
"Those who are ready to sacrifice freedom for security
ultimately will lose both" - Abraham Lincoln



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