See I think it depends on region. I know where I live most of the guys I fish with would rather catch a 5 inch brookie over a stocked rainbow. Personally, it’s brookies as my favorite fish to catch here in Pennsylvania followed by wild browns. I can do without rainbows. The reason I like brookies tends to be where they are located. You can chase them in some pretty remote streams as well as some very skinny water. What also makes them my top choice is knowing those little guys have been born and raised in those watersheds and are top predator in those streams. Can’t forget their colors either…

On a final note they are our state fish which probably gives fisherman more of an appreciation for them here as well.

Wthorpe,
True, brookies aren't trout, but a char. I did try to avoid saying "brook trout," but instead just "brookies."
However, there was similar thread on favorite fish species, but I wanted this a little more specific. viewtopic.php?f=2&t=622
Maybe should have titled it "favorite coldwater species;" but wasn't really interested in, say, northern pike, but wanted to keep it more "trouty."

California Goldens. Beautiful coloring and live in pristine environs (for the most part).

Native Cutthroats. Beautiful fish that fight, readily take dries, and have such variable looks depending on sub-species.

Sad that we’ve lost 90% of the habitat due to cross breeding or non-native stockings. Imagine the size of the cutthroats that used to live in the Colorado or Rio Grande prior to these introductions?

Amago, rainbow trout , cutthroat and yamame/cherry salmon are all in the same genus as Pacific salmon (Oncorhynchus). Many hybridize and almost all are at least occasionally found in saltwater but require freshwater spawning grounds with running water.

Brown trout and their close relative Atlantic salmon are in the genus Salmo.

Char (genus Salvelinus) include Arctic char, Brook trout and Iwana (pretty closely related).

Me-I like them all and many other species.

I like them all. I find them all to be pretty regardless.
But having said that I prefer steelhead. Right now we have summer run steelhead in the ditches around here and they are awesome. In 4 trips last week I went 9 for 21. Not the best batting average but we have logs in our cricks not usually boulders like out west.

Brookies for me. I think they are the prettiest fish God ever made. I do think it matters some where you grew up or live now. I have lived all of my life in or by the Great Smoky Mountains, so that has definitely colored my opinion. Having said that, I like any fish that puts a bend in a fly rod.

Rainbows next for me, and steelhead when I can infrequently get to where they live. All other trout next in no particular order. And then all the other species, so little time...

I like them all. Though I grew up and learned to fly fish in PA, I sti have yet to catch a native brook trout. That's currently what I'm after. A California golden is on my bucket list.

Like others, I also prefer wild trout of any kind. But I'm not above having a blast catching stocked rainbows, which to be quite honest is mostly what I catch.

I like fishing for wild rainbows. Out here they can fight like hell and are not easy targets, especially on faster mountain streams. I suppose folks tend to like fishing for what is best adapted to their watersheds, as those tend to be the best challenge.

Thanks all for the replies.
Redietz; didn't know rainbows aren't technically trout, but they're not pike, either.
Takeru; I would love to go to Japan someday & chase some of the species you mention. Your pictures of that area look amazing!
I would also agree that I'd rather catch stream-born fish to stockers. Also, I once ran into a fisheries biologist that mentioned some areas get stocked with rainbows of higher quality genetics (whatever that means) than others, depending on the fishery, fishing pressure, etc. I've caught rainbows that are amazing quarry, but also lots of stockers that my buddies & I call "slimers," not near as much fun.
But I'll stick to cutthroat. I've never caught a brookie that could compete with the colors of fall spawn cutts. Yes, brookies can be fiesty, but cutthroat can be just as fiesty, plus match the aerobatics of rainbows (imho).

In my home state since day one I have favored wild brown trout.

They populate tiny local streams, remote mountain streams and the meadow streams I grew up loving the most.

Native cutts.......Aurelio