Thread: Steelhead

Originally Posted by Carpe Diem

Hey Moa hunter - depends who you talk to as to the sub-breeds, variants and types of trout that made their way to NZ. It's not as clean and clear as you may think...

It is acknowledged that a number of Acclimatisation societies had delivered in the early days progeny (and multiple deliveries) from ova including those from the Umpqua river in the USA, which is a very Steelhead orientated and genetically linked fishery.
NZ also has Tiger trout, Brook trout and there is even mention of a mis-labeled import that was released in the upper Waihou and tributaries that might possibly even be Cutthroat.

So not as clear cut as you thought huh!

I agree that there were multiple species introduced here including mackinaw and the great Salmo Salar. But if there were proper Steelhead Rainbows we would have fish today that run to sea and return. I think that in the early days of our fisheries and game animal populations, people had a better handle on subspecies differences than today. People lived closer to nature and were much more in-tune and intuitive than we are today. A read of Linnaeus, Merriam and Darwin soon demonstrated this to me. So what I mean is that the people collecting the fertilised ova in the US would know the difference and would record the ova as SH or River type. It is possible that we had Steelhead released here but into a lake system with no ocean connection and so they died out from unsuitable habitat with the error being made at this end, but even then the English settlers were fully familiar with sea trout and Salmo Salar which have the same habits as Steel Head.

There are a few Steelhead strains that have been planted in the Great Lakes over the years I know Lake Erie's steelhead alley has been stocked with the McCloud river Calfornia strain and the popular skeena river oregon known for growing big fish that like cold water streams and now I've read lake michigan and lake superior have their own strains distinct to their lakes after years of natural reproduction here's a superior fish long slender call them torpedoes fight like bastards