first of the season

With a small spike in river levels and no more rain and sight we took a chance and hi the river while it was fishable a short amount of time.The river was barely in shape and starting to clear,but as usual the "money hole" was a deep green and held a fish,after a short minute fight a snakey colored buck hatchery steelhead of about 5lbs comes to hand,i knew there was a possibility of stray hatchery fish in this un stocked wild steelhead stream,but this fish flat out looks like an old summer steelhead,this stream does not get returns of summer steelhead,however a few strays are caught every fall during salmon season,but it is the middle of january on an oregon coastal stream,msot floods have flushed out any nasty salmon and what very very small trace of stray summers are present,i firmly believe this fish is an old summer,who had not spawned yet despite he skinny appearance.TO prevent this fish from spawning with natives,and since i like smoked steelhead i did the stream and myself a favor by keeping the fish to smoke.All and all it was a decent day out,time to take a break until it rains again

snake-like male hatchery summer steelhead caught while winter steelheading