holding water

[30aught6]

Today I went fishing on the coast. I found a nice run that looked like it would be good holding water for steelhead. It was several miles from tidewater. I ended up catching two nice cutthroat, the first running about 18' and the second about 12'.

I was very happy with the fish, but it got me to wondering: Is steelhead holding water different than holding water for cuts? (i.e. accepting that it's still early for winter steel, was I in the wrong neck of the woods to locate a steelhead?)

Any opinions?

[Skunked]

I tend to hook cutthroat in slightly slower water than steelhead or rainbows. Usually it's in the same run, just a slightly slower part of it. For example, several times on the coast I've been fishing for steelhead and I let the fly swing close to the bank into slower water and a cut nailed it, most steelhead I hook are closer to the main current.
When trout fishing in rivers with both cutthroat and rainbows I really notice a difference. Rainbows are more numerous in the main channel riffles and rapids. Cutthroat tend to dominate the side channels and slower back eddies.

[stoneflyguy]

You would find the two in the same water in most instances. They seek the same water, cover, oxygen, and a place to ambush prey or feed without expending too much energy. Where you fnd cutt's you'll find steelhead.

[mini-e]

Originally Posted by Skunked

I tend to hook cutthroat in slightly slower water than steelhead or rainbows. Usually it's in the same run, just a slightly slower part of it. For example, several times on the coast I've been fishing for steelhead and I let the fly swing close to the bank into slower water and a cut nailed it, most steelhead I hook are closer to the main current.
When trout fishing in rivers with both cutthroat and rainbows I really notice a difference. Rainbows are more numerous in the main channel riffles and rapids. Cutthroat tend to dominate the side channels and slower back eddies.

I have found this to be the case as well. In fact, I have learned to avoid steelhead smolt while fishing for cutts in the summer months by staying in slower deeper water. There is overlap of course, nevertheless, in my experiance on coastal rivers, it is pretty distinct: slow & deep=cutts, fast(er) & shallow=bows.

[mini-e]

Originally Posted by 30aught6

Today I went fishing on the coast. I found a nice run that looked like it would be good holding water for steelhead. It was several miles from tidewater. I ended up catching two nice cutthroat, the first running about 18' and the second about 12'.

I was very happy with the fish, but it got me to wondering: Is steelhead holding water different than holding water for cuts? (i.e. accepting that it's still early for winter steel, was I in the wrong neck of the woods to locate a steelhead?)

Any opinions?

18"!!! solid fish. congrats!

[30aught6]

Originally Posted by mini-e

18"!!! solid fish. congrats!

Thanks, I was pretty fired up about him... Hit like a ton of bricks.

Thanks too for all the responses... Valuable input all around.

[YoungBuck28]

We catch several cutts every winter steelheadin so i'd say they like the same stuff