Pictures of Trout and Salmon, Page 4

This 17 inch brown trout decided to mess with the wrong caddis pupa. I released her gently enough that she didn't dart off right away, so I was able to take an underwater post-release photo.

What could be better than catching wild brookies below a waterfall?

This 11 pound male king salmon was the only one in his pod willing to hit a fly, apparently. Well, I'm not complaining--what a fight! He's not big for a King, but it was a fun catch anyway.

I caught this coho salmon alevin by accident while netting nymphs after an unsuccessful day steelhead fishing further downstream. I let him swim in a container lid for a minute and slid him gently back into the river.

An 18 inch brown trout.

This 15 inch football-fat brown stuck around for a picture after being gently released.

Here I am soaking wet holding up a hard-earned 17 inch brown trout. An hour or so before I caught her, I attempted a treacherous crossing over loose gravel, and the river was running high. I found myself treadmilling on my tiptoes to maintain my footing as the gravel slipped beneath me, and I was swept off downstream and swam to shore with a few gallons of 55 degree water in my waders. Being me, I kept fishing.

I took great care to handle the best fish of the night, a 16+ inch rainbow trout, very gently for a picture. As usual, the fish slipped away before the photo. Here's one snapped too early, while I fumbled with the trout in the net. It's really there! Honest!

This is my biggest and certainly best stream-resident rainbow to date, a wild 19-incher pulled from a Class III-IV rapids. It's also the first fish ever to take me into my backing.