As I plan a trip to the Olympic Peninsula this February (my first foray into sea-runners), my thoughts end up on the fish. Which got me thinking - what exactly is a steelhead?
Merriam-Webster defines a steelhead as: "
an anadromous rainbow trout ". Merriam-Webster defines anadromous as: "
ascending rivers from the sea for breeding". Merriam-Webster defines sea as: "a great body of salt water that covers much of the earth" (among other definitions).
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| Montana steelhead |
But the Great Lakes' tribuaries have steelhead, and the Great Lakes are not seas by that definition. And frankly some of Lake Superior's "steelhead" pale in comparison to some lake-run rainbows of the Rockies. So why can't we call our lake-run rainbows steelhead? Why do they, if they're not technically "sea-run" (they're "big-lake-run"). Where do you draw the line?
I propose we call our big-lake-run, bigger-than-some-of-the-great-lakes'-steelhead rainbow trout "steelhead" as well.
And without a dime of taxpayers' money, Montana could boast some delightful "new" fishing opportunities.
