Steelbead Trout 243 



with the other salmonoids, which with the excep- 

 tion of the Pacific salmon {Oncorhyncus) and the 

 golden trout of the Mt. Whitney streams, are 

 inferior, I think, as table fish, to those of the 

 same family with a habitat east of the Alle- 

 ghany Mountains. 



But if they are inferior as food fishes, the 

 steelheads certainly possess all the game quali- 

 ties of our Eastern trouts, and their large size, 

 when taken in the lower estuaries and at the 

 mouths of rivers, adds to the zest of capture. 

 They are fly-takers when in the streams, and 

 when found on shallow ledges of rocks and on 

 the bars in the lower waters. On taking a 

 natural bait the steelhead is apt to surge deep 

 and strong, but when fastened on the artificial 

 feathers, for which he rises eagerly, is an acrobat, 

 leaping repeatedly from the water. These aerial 

 flights naturally lead the angler to believe that 

 he is closely allied to the rainbow, the only trout 

 living in waters west of the Rocky Mountains, 

 with the exception of the stream steelhead, that 

 rose to my flies and leaped frantically into the air. 



Like most of the salmonoids of the Pacific 

 coast this fish is rich in local nomenclature ; 

 the Russians call it somka^ the Kamchatkans, 



