The Bull Trout Identity Crisis

By Kevin Rossi

I had been at the nice corner bend for around a half-hour, casting to a picky cutthroat who refused to eat my fly. I reeled in my line, hooked it onto my rod, and walked back to the tail of the pool to join my brother, who was staring discerningly into the pool. He looked at me, stating bluntly “I can see some Bull Trout in there.”

I perked up and began pondering the pool, at the same time saying “You know, I prefer the name Mountain Char.” My brother chuckled “Mountain Char, eh… Don’t most people just call them Dolly Varden?” So began a conversation familiar to many anglers — why do some people call them Dolly Varden and other people call them Bull Trout?