Illustration by Steven Schalla, FlyFishingtheSierra.com, used with permission

Redband Trout are generally similar in appearance to rainbow trout, though each Redband subspecies has somewhat different characteristics.  Genetically, Redbands represent a link between Coastal Rainbows (which were usually the source of stocked fish) and the more primitive cutthroat, with which they share some characteristics.  Think of Redbands as the original-strain, interior rainbows. 

Columbia River Redbands tend to show a great deal of variation depending on whether they are stream resident, fluvial, lacustrine, or sea-run.  A fluvial (river) form is illustrated.  Redbands exhibit a red stripe along the lateral line, similar to a rainbow.  Color is generally yellow to orange yellow, more like a cutthroat than a rainbow, which tend to be more silvery.  Redbands are also heavily spotted, and will often exhibit a yellow mark under the jaw that resembles a cutthroat mark.  Stream resident fish will often retain parr marks into adulthood (not shown), while lacustrine (lake) and sea-run (steelhead) forms will have a greenish back.