Ben said, "Because of the forked tail I'm calling it a coho."
To which I replied,"Either way, wild ones go back to the river!
"Forked tail? Um, the picture shows my hand grasping the tail base, which could give the appearance of a forked tail!
"Fight over 20 minutes:
"I don't have sufficient depth of fishing to say Chrome colored Coho can hide the white flag that long! Gary R. thinks not. "
The lower jaw and tongue are white: steelhead.
The tail looks forked because my hand squeezes the rays together. If it looked like that without my hand, I'd agree with a coho i.d. I cannot rely on this criterium for i.d.
1. on a trout (or steelhead, by implication) the tip of the anal fin reaches as far back as the base of the fin.
2. On coho the tip falls slightly past the middle of the base.
In the picture above, after correcting for the frame cutting off the tip of the fin, I'd place the tip of the fin well within steelhead territory.
Evidence: Mouth, anal fin, lateness in season, feistiness when hooked.
Verdict: It's a steelhead!
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