Ever heard of triploid rainbow trout? Pull up a stool while I tell you about them.

If you read my last column, you’re aware that this species of rainbow is one that guide Joe Heinlen goes after. Heinlen does most of his guiding on Washington State’s Lake Chelan. He’s also licensed to guide on big Rufus Wood Reservoir, the impoundment formed behind Chief Joseph Dam on the Columbia River.

Rufus Wood reservoir is home to the triploid rainbow I mentioned. It’s also a super spot to find trophy-sized kokanee

The triploid rainbows run big on Washington State's Rufus Wood reservoir.  Note the beauty this angler displays.

“Triploids,” Joe says, “are a special strain of rainbows incapable of reproduction. They are reared in net pens at the upper end of the reservoir. These trout are eating machines and they can get really big. They average from 5 to 6-pounds.”

And that’s just for starters. The all time rainbow record on Rufus Wood is an eye popping 29-pounds. Another monster of 28-pounds was caught there not long ago. Get into rainbows of that size and you’ll have your hands full for awhile.

“I call these triploids eating machines for a good reason,” Heinlen says. “I cleaned one once that had a glass Power Bait jar in its belly. It had obviously gobbled the whole thing.”

I’ve already detailed in my last two columns how Heinlen uses Mack’s Lure Hot Wings when he’s after lakers and kokanee on Lake Chelan. His approach is a bit different on Rufus Wood. “When I’m after the triploid rainbow,” he says, “I attach my Hot Wings in front of a 2/0 or 4/0 dodger. I run 30 to 40-inchs of leader back to a Mack’s Lure Double Whammy. I tip my Double Whammy with a worm or corn kernels.”

Guide Joe Heinlen favors a Mack's Lure Double Whammy for triploid rainbows.  He tips the lure's hooks with a worm or corn kernels.

When he’s concentrating on the big kokanee in Rufus Wood, Heinlen again uses a Hot Wings in front of his dodger and at the end of his 20-inch leader he attaches either a Mack’s Lure chartreuse colored Sugar Buns or pink streamer flies that he ties up himself.

The limit per angler on Rufus Wood Reservoir is two rainbows and two kokanee. That’s not a lot of fish as far as numbers go, but keep in mind that some of these fish can be dandies.

“My personal size average on Rufus Wood kokanee,” Joe says, “is 18-inches. My largest one so far measured 23 ½--inches. These fish run almost 2-pounds in weight and they are beautiful fish.”

If you’ve done much kokanee fishing, you’re aware that it’s rare to see these platter pleasing little landlocked sockeye salmon reaching the 2-pound category. They are much more likely to run closer to a 12-inch average. I’ve already mentioned the 5 and 6-pound average attained by the Rufus Wood triploid rainbows. You don’t necessarily need numbers when you’re dealing with fish that size in either species.

Heinlen does his guiding out of a 22-foot Storm aluminum boat. He can accommodate up to six anglers at a time. His boat is equipped with everything from a cooling mister for hot days of mid-summer and a variety of heating equipment for cold weather fishing. This popular guide is also equipped to handle disabled anglers who might have to do their fishing from a wheelchair.

If you want to line up a trip with Joe, and that’s something I’d like to do one of these days myself, you can reach him at (509) 393-9665. As I mentioned earlier, Joe guides out of Darrell and Dad’s Family Guide Service. Additional details on this well established operation are available on the Internet at www.darrellanddads.com.

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