Last weekend I was fishing the Calawah when I caught what appeared to be a down river spawned out hen hatchery summer steelhead. The fish was quite bright (just a little pink on the gill plates) and probably weighed seven or eight pounds, although it had some fungus on the tail and anal fin. Skinny too, so I put it back.

I'm guessing that it was heading back to the ocean. Wild fish I would expect that, but a hatchery fish? Curious as to how common this may be...assuming this hatchery fish spawned in the wild. Maybe it was an early winter fish?