Illustration by Steven Schalla, FlyFishingtheSierra.com, used with permission Coastal rainbows (“Oncorhynchus mykiss irideus”) are native to the north Pacific coast, from northern Mexico to Alaska, and across the Bering Straight to eastern Asia. Within CONUS, the coastal rainbow trout’s original … Read More
Illustration by Steven Schalla, FlyFishingtheSierra.com, used with permission The Little Kern Golden closely resembles the California Golden (aka “Volcano Creek Golden”) except that it has many more spots over the back and onto the head. Like the California Golden, it … Read More
Illustration by Steven Schalla, FlyFishingtheSierra.com, used with permission As with all cutthroats, check first for the distinct orange-red cutthroat slash below the jaw. The Paiute Cutthroat can be distinguished from other cutthroats by the near absence of any body spots. … Read More
Illustration by Steven Schalla, FlyFishingtheSierra.com, used with permission A native of the north Pacific coast, Rainbow Trout were stocked in the United States as far back as the 19th century, and are now the most widely distributed wild trout species … Read More
Illustration by Steven Schalla, FlyFishingtheSierra.com, used with permission The Eagle Lake Rainbow Trout is the only rainbow trout native to the east side of California’s Sierra Nevada Mountains. This trout is unique in it’s ability to withstand high alkalinity (Eagle … Read More
Illustration by Steven Schalla, FlyFishingtheSierra.com, used with permission The Kern River Rainbow can be distinguished by irregularly shaped spots both above and below the lateral line. The spots decrease as they extend towards the belly. Coloration is similar to the … Read More
Illustration by Steven Schalla, FlyFishingtheSierra.com, used with permission Redband is the common name for native-strain rainbow trout which live east of the coastal region. They are classified as subspecies of rainbow trout, with multiple sub-variants which are not necessarily consistently … Read More
Illustration by Steven Schalla, FlyFishingtheSierra.com, used with permission Steelhead are sea-run, rainbow or redband trout which return to spawn after 2-3 years at sea (and typically 1 year as a smolt living in freshwater). They are genetically identical to resident … Read More