Rainbow trout (steelhead)

Trout with a pink to red stripe along the side, and small black spots on the back, the sides and the whole tail. Steelhead are the same fish after a trip to the ocean: bright silver with a faint stripe. Big Alaska rainbows are often called 'leopard' rainbows for their heavy spots.

14–24 in in rivers; steelhead 6–12 lb.

About 45 in and over 40 lb.

Insects, salmon eggs and flesh, sculpins, smolts, leeches and small fish.

River and lake fish that hold behind rocks, at the tail of pools and along seams where slow water meets fast water. In salmon country they follow the spawning salmon to eat their eggs.

Found from Alaska, British Columbia and Patagonia. Clear, cold rivers and lakes. In Alaska the best are in Bristol Bay (Kvichak, Naknek, Alagnak) and on the Kenai Peninsula. It was introduced to Patagonia, where some fish run to sea and come back huge.

Clear, cold rivers and lakes. In Alaska the best are in Bristol Bay (Kvichak, Naknek, Alagnak) and on the Kenai Peninsula. It was introduced to Patagonia, where some fish run to sea and come back huge.

1–8 ft in rivers.

1–8 ft in rivers; drop-offs and inlets of lakes.

Spring after ice-out, and late summer through fall when the salmon are spawning.

Morning and evening; overcast days fish well all day.

No tide — in rivers, steady or slowly dropping water is best.

Cloudy, cool days; avoid high, muddy water after heavy rain.

Salmon roe and nightcrawlers where bait is legal (much of Alaska's best trout water is artificial-lure only).

Beads that look like salmon eggs, flesh flies, sculpin and leech streamers, small spinners and spoons.

9 ft 5–7 weight fly rod, or a 6½–7 ft light to medium-light spinning rod.

Size 6–14 flies; single barbless hooks on spinners and spoons where required.

4–10 lb mono, or floating fly line.

3X–5X tippet (4–8 lb), 7½–9 ft.

When salmon are spawning, drift an egg-colored bead 1–2 inches above a hook under an indicator, right behind the salmon. Earlier in the year, swing streamers through the seams.

Fish the water just below spawning sockeye in late summer. The big rainbows sit right behind them, eating the eggs that drift loose.

Catch and release: wet your hands, keep the fish in the water when you can, and release it quickly. Use circle hooks and a dehooker.

Good eating when fresh.

Bleed and ice it right away. Fillet, then remove the skin and any dark bloodline.

Mild, pink to orange meat; pan-fried whole, baked or smoked. Keep stocked lake fish to eat, and release wild river trout.

Cold, fast rivers — wear a wading belt and a life jacket in boats, and in Alaska and northern Canada carry bear spray and make noise.

Many famous Alaska trout rivers are catch-and-release only, with single-hook unbaited artificial lures, and steelhead are released almost everywhere. In Patagonia, Argentina and Chile each require their own fishing license, and many rivers are catch-and-release. Peg beads above the hook; never put the bead on the hook shank. In Alaska, rules are set by the Alaska Department of Fish and Game (adfg.alaska.gov); in Canada, by each province and territory. Many trout and char waters are single-hook, artificial-lure or catch-and-release only — check before you go.

Wild trophy rainbows take many years to grow. Keep them in the water, take a quick photo and let them go.