I don't catch a lot of Bull Trout

smarandr

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East Idaho
But when I do I try to catch the big ones :)

Honestly, I could count the number of bull trout I've caught on my fingers, and none until this one have been longer than 12". Since I'm coming up on 40 I would have to consider this a once in a lifetime kind of a catch for me.
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congrats!
peshaw on the once in a lifetime thang. get backout there and git-r-dun!
been catching some decent ones the last couple years on mid fork of the boise up by atlanta also. but it's catch and release on bullies. only way I roll anyhow.
 
Excellent! The only large Bullies I've caught have been in Alberta and BC where they are fairly plentiful. Getting one like that in the lower 48 is a great accomplishment!

Looks a similar to Arctic Char, dolly varden

Very similar to dollies (they are a char), except their mouth is gigantic. A friend that use to guide for them in BC favored a 9" long whitefish streamer and they basically inhale them.
 
Bull Trout have mistakenly been referred to as Dolly Varden here all my life. I just let it go.

I was thinking about that. Used to catch them in Fathead Lake years ago and I think we did call them Dolly Varden. Then years later caught bunch of Dolly Varden on the Portage River in Alaska and they did look different. Tasted better too!
 
Actually, Dolly Varden used to be their proper name. This is from “Fishes of Montana,” 1971 (note the asterisk)
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