I think the coloration of the anadromous life form of coastal cutthroat in Puget Sound and Hood Canal really depends on the time of year.
Many of the fish we catch in the salt in late spring into say June are chrome bright and you can't see the jaw slashes at all.
Catch those same fish in the salt in December and they'll look totally different, with many displaying golden hues, very noticeable spots and much more pronounce jaw slashes.

Catching any coastal cutthroat over 20" is something to celebrate. I've fished for them a long time and have only one that I've actually measure that exceeded the 20" mark. I do have a few that haunt me though that I've seen, including two that I've lost in the past few years. The fact I know they are there keeps me coming back.
SF