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I
guess you could argue that the Rainbow trout is the prized fish
of the trout world. It’s
aerial
acrobatics when hooked seems to be what the trout fisherman
loves in this fish. The Rainbow Trout, a species of salmonid, is
native to much of the eastern, central, western, and especially
the northern portions of the United States. It is also native to
much of Asia.
Rainbow
trout are both freshwater and sea-running fish with the
sea-going rainbows better known as steelhead trout. These fish
have been successfully introduced to some 45 countries around
the world. |
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What
Do Rainbow Trout Look Like?
Rainbow trout have the streamlined salmonid form, which varies
from slender to thick. Their coloration varies widely too and
depends on factors such as age, habitat, sex and maturity. The
back or top of the Rainbow is an olive to blue-green shading
with the lower sides of the Rainbow silver with a pure white
under belly. Along the sides of the fish, about the midline,
runs a reddish-pink band that ranges from a faint to very
radiant color. This band of color is what has given the fish its
name because the stripe reminds one of a rainbow. Small black
spots cover the back and sides and the upper fins and tail.
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What’s the Life Cycle of a Rainbow Trout?
Rainbow spawn in late March and spawning can last till early
July. The female lays anywhere from 200 to 8000 eggs in a nest,
called a redd, that she forms in the gravel of the streambed
with her tail. Hatching of the eggs begins in a few weeks from
when they were laid and can take up to 4 months depending on
water temperatures. Wild or native male and female Rainbows
spawn as young as 3-5 years in age but usually are 6 to 7 years
old. The frequency of spawning ranges from annually to once in a
three-year span.
When young Rainbows first hatch they feed on crustaceans, plant
material, and aquatic insects and larvae. Mature Rainbows add
other fish to the diet, along with crayfish. Rainbows, young and
old, eat the eggs of other fish as well. Rainbows, in general,
will eat just about anything a creek has to offer which makes
them a good fish for angling.
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How to Catch ‘Em?
Depending on where you are located, early to late spring and again in the
fall are prime times to fish for Rainbows. These strong swimmers
are big eaters and will hit a variety of presentations. Spinners,
small pugs, spoons and a wide selection of flies will catch
Rainbows. I’ve found that Rainbow love to chase things. Spinners,
if fished down stream, often cause a Rainbow to turn and chase
after it. They seem to like following an offering for a while
before they bite it. I have also found that small plugs will
also have the same
effect on them, meaning they will act the same way as how I described
for the spinner.
When fly-fishing, especially spring and fall, many times I tie
on a fluorescent green salmon egg pattern and fish it just above
the creek bottom. Normally I will catch more Rainbows on this
pattern than other trout. Rainbows also seem to eat throughout
the day with midday, say anywhere from about 12:30 to 4 o’clock,
being the least productive time of the day.
Rainbows are pretty and active once hooked and nothing is as
cool as when they pop up out of the water, leaping several feet
sometimes, in a wonderful display of aerial acrobatics.
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