Doesn't it strike anyone as odd that you can identify every object in the stomach of the steelhead you are looking at. With trout any "bugs" that are eaten are much within hours.

While it is clear that some steelhead have taken food items it is questionable whether they derive any nutriental benefits from those items. It seems that their digestive systems may well be "shut down". In one case a hatchery trained summer steelhead collected for brood to feed on trout pellets (used hatchery rainbows for tutors). The thinking was that by feeding them they would stay in better condition over the 6 months or so they were in the hatchery and produce better eggs. While it was clear they were feeding - can you image the feeding frenzy with 500 adults in a raceway - it was also clear that at the time of spawning the fish had no more fat reserves or better eggs than unfed fish.

That is contrasted with some work by the Yakama Tribe that has been trapping kelts and re-conditioning them by feedign them. This has worked very well.

While unspawned adult steelhead will occasionally take food items I would hestitate to call that "feeding". That said I still can resit the temptation to look to see what is the stomach of the fish and like others have found a large range of items ranging from expected to the such things as buttons (one fish had 2 and for the life of me can't figure out it found 1 let alone 2), bird feathers and wings and as reported but others a whole dipper.

Happy Holidays and may the New Year bring you tight lines.
S malma