While fishing in the Ohio & Erie Canal, I caught this fine fish. It is widely farmed both as a table fish and to stock lakes and rivers as a sport fish.
The Rainbow Trout is native only to the rivers and lakes of North America, west of the Rocky Mountains, but its value as a hard-fighting game fish and tasty meal has led to its introduction throughout the world. This popular fish has been stocked in almost every one of the United States and on every continent except Antarctica.
Also called Redband Trout, they are attractive fish that derive their name from their beautiful, multi-hued coloration. Their bodies are blue, green, or yellowish, shading to silvery white on the underside, with a horizontal pink-red stripe running from the gills to the tail and black spots along their backs.
Steelhead and Rainbow Trout are the same species, and members of the Salmon Family. Rainbow Trout are freshwater only, and Steelhead are anadromous, or go to sea. Unlike most Salmon, Steelhead can survive spawning and can spawn in multiple years. Adult Rainbow Trout and Steelhead range in size. They can reach 45 inches in length, but are usually much smaller. They can weigh more than 50 pounds, but a more typical weight is 8 pounds.
This is a cool- to cold-water fish species that does best in areas where the water remains below 70°F. Rainbow Trout are carnivores and feed on a wide variety of prey including insects, crustaceans, mollusks, fish eggs and fish. In habitats that are dense with aquatic vegetation, they often have the opportunity to eat arthropods that fall into the stream.
A group of rainbow trout is called a hover.