Steelhead?

I just wanted to mention that one should look to the steelhead for motivation. It is but a lowly trout with aspirations to be a salmon, and so far almost reaching that goal.

I say it surpasses the Salmon in lore and the chase for 20+ is a goal that most do not achieve in a lifetime of fishing.

In my short lifetime of eating I would say that no freshwater fish looks or tastes so much like a salmon as the steelhead (Im not as big an angler as you are, so I go with what I know ) Of course, I know salmon spawns in fresh water and when caught during this time you are technically catching and eating a fresh water fish, but Im going to say that that doesnt count... erm... because I said so just now.

CreamyGoodness said:

In my short lifetime of eating I would say that no freshwater fish looks or tastes so much like a salmon as the steelhead (Im not as big an angler as you are, so I go with what I know ) Of course, I know salmon spawns in fresh water and when caught during this time you are technically catching and eating a fresh water fish, but Im going to say that that doesnt count... erm... because I said so just now.

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Steelhead is the same. They only return to freshwater to spawn.

Well crap

CreamyGoodness said:

Well carp

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Fixed

I STILL think it is amusing that steelhead looks and tastes more salmony than it does trouty.

Oh its the best. Cuthroats are great also another searun trout that doesn't get as big as metalheads.

I love how it "flakes" when sauteed as well (again another thing that makes it more like salmon in my opinion). I'm sure there are probably steelhead purists out there who insist it should be grilled with a little butter and lemon, but I found it to be so meaty and full of body that it just begged to go into a pot of manhattan-style chowder.

Smoked steelhead is amazing.

I'll agree to try it if you agree to not get upset if I put some on a bagel with cream cheese

Oh yes I do that already. Making a dip out of it is great as well.

Did you catch a male or a female? Did you salt-cure any eggs for the next time out?

For some reason both my fish have been bucks. But yea of we nab a hen we cure the eggs

Do you use the bones/heads for stock?

Is Steelhead cheek meat as good as yellowtale cheek?

red fleshed fish tend to not make good stock. Too fatty and the stock tastes funky.

Cheek meat is good on most fish.

CHefJohnboyardee said:

red fleshed fish tend to not make good stock. Too fatty and the stock tastes funky.

Cheek meat is good on most fish.

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I used the head and bones to make the base of my chowder... but thats a stock for a soup that will contain that very fish...

Punity... what do you think about cutting a sashimi filet off steelhead? Could be interesting!

Might be good. We sometimes bring soy sauce and wasabi salmon fishing cut some strips off a freah fish and dunk it

CreamyGoodness said:

I used the head and bones to make the base of my chowder... but thats a stock for a soup that will contain that very fish...

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Adding flavor to soup isn't the same as making a stock from multiple fish skeletons. That said, steelhead late season would make a better stock than early season. Salmon stock is just foul most times. Just too fatty. So it would depend on the steely. The white ones should be fine.

Hooked a nice Native today gonna see if I can grab a good still image from my gopro video

not the greatest photo but i was all by myself in the middle of the river and it was high enough it covered the normal bank i usually bring them to but it was a nice catch and release hopefully they grow and i hook it next year when its 20+

Better shot

Sweet........

I'm jonzen to get out. Need a good little warm spell in the forcast; to free up some open water to operate in. Still too much ice

I'm hoping to get out to a semi local stream that gets a very small run on Sunday to stretch my legs a bit.

Punity said:

Better shot

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Nice!!

Funny, self serving story about the day I went to pick up the steelhead from my inlaws's neighbor. To set up the somewhat boring story (that tells me all I need to know about the good folks in that part of Michigan), the neighbor called my m-i-l to let her know they had set it aside and I should pop over to get it. So I happily marched over there. I had As Im walking the couple hundred yards to their house it starts raining... really coming down even though the sun was out.

I get on their property and I hear her husband shout over from the shed he is puttering for me to come get out of the rain. He introduces himself and we chat a bit. I asked "is Jackie in the other shed?" "You know Jackie?" "Well... yes... I'm Dave's son-in-law..." "Oh yeah, Dave across the way. What brings you over here?"...

Turns out that Jackie had not told her husband that I was coming to get the fish... so essentially he called over to a guy who was basically trespassing on his property (as far as he knew) to come out of the rain. Thats nice people on a new level.

Nice people I wouldn't have been to someone I didn't know walking around my property haha.

To be fair I was coming up the driveway, not just wandering around, but yeah. Ha!

Ahh well at least he was nice about it. Still got the fish though right?

Yup! Next day I got some tomatoes, potatoes, and mirapoix with a little chili powder and cayenne and made lunch for the house. Even my sceptical wife finished her bowl

Can't help it with those metalheads

Where I work we smoke Steelhead every day. And we taste test every lunch

It is a great fish.

Funny aside. We caught a little smallmouth and another little fish (not sure what kind any more) and I decided to throw them in the pot too for more interesting texture. The bones and heads of the white fish went into a stock pot with some onions and fresh parsley.

The parsley turned my stock bright green.

My advice now... when it comes to fish chowder... dont fear a green stock

Just use the stems from the parsley. Same flavor, no color.

Gotta.brung this back to the top Summer run is upon us in 4 days here in Washington. Anyone else gearing up for a summer fishing season

Hopspunge is. Pretty much all lake run smallmouth now in the tributaries here. Unless you like to go inland and catch small browns. I usually just fish lakerun stuff till it gets too warm. Then I take a break from fishing in the summertime. Unless I go out on a friend boat. Ther's a monsoon happening in western NY now. So everything is blown out. I will take a few pics of the smallies next time I go out. You will be shocked at how big some get. Because of the zebra mussles they eat I think. ..

Punity said:

Gotta.brung this back to the top Summer run is upon us in 4 days here in Washington. Anyone else gearing up for a summer fishing season

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The boat is going back into the water this Friday. It's has a fresh coat of bottom paint, new GPS, new radar. All the salmon, tuna, halibut, and bottom fishing gear is aboard. Going to hit it hard this summer!

This is how we smoke em where I live. Not steelhead, but Chinook from last fall. Most of our Steelies are half pounders(1-5 lbs). But it's a good day when you catch an adult!!

Looks good to me.

Here's to Chasing Chrome s and Bonkin Domes.

Look up Wild Iron Outdoors on youtube in the wormaggedon video I'm the first clip and also the one where I'm reeling while holding the camera.