10-27-2010, 04:00 PM
"Utah is putting Kamloops in Flaming Gorge. So you don't have to go to Idaho."
[cool][#0000ff]That will be good news to a lot of Utah troutaholics. But I doubt they will achieve the huge sizes they once did in the Gorge. Here is a pic of a 26 pound Kammie caught by the famous Del Canty on a fly at the Gorge...in 1979. [/#0000ff]
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[inline "DEL CANTY.jpg"]
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[#0000ff]That was also during the period of HUGE browns in the Gorge. Here is a pic of a 30 pounder Del caught at about the same time.[/#0000ff]
[inline "DEL CANTY BROWN.jpg"]
[#0000ff]The key to their growth was the vast numbers of chubs. Since the chubs have been decimated there has been a dropoff in the size of all species that rely on them as a primary food source. Fortunately for the macks, they get big enough to dine on small kokes and rainbows. But the bows and browns have to take pot luck on smaller food items and no longer reach the huge sizes they once did.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]We keep having these discussions on the board about putting kamloops in Utah waters...and expecting them to grow to huge sizes. As always, they will grow only to the size that their available resources allow. With the virtual elimination of redsides in Strawberry...and the lack of any small chubs between fry stage and large adults...the kamloops would probably not grow any larger than the current plantings of triploid rainbows. [/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]I have caught kamloops in their native lakes in British Columbia where a big one was 18". Just because they are a certain strain does not mean they will automatically grow huge. They gotta have the groceries.[/#0000ff]
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[cool][#0000ff]That will be good news to a lot of Utah troutaholics. But I doubt they will achieve the huge sizes they once did in the Gorge. Here is a pic of a 26 pound Kammie caught by the famous Del Canty on a fly at the Gorge...in 1979. [/#0000ff]
[#0000ff] [/#0000ff]
[inline "DEL CANTY.jpg"]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]That was also during the period of HUGE browns in the Gorge. Here is a pic of a 30 pounder Del caught at about the same time.[/#0000ff]
[inline "DEL CANTY BROWN.jpg"]
[#0000ff]The key to their growth was the vast numbers of chubs. Since the chubs have been decimated there has been a dropoff in the size of all species that rely on them as a primary food source. Fortunately for the macks, they get big enough to dine on small kokes and rainbows. But the bows and browns have to take pot luck on smaller food items and no longer reach the huge sizes they once did.[/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]We keep having these discussions on the board about putting kamloops in Utah waters...and expecting them to grow to huge sizes. As always, they will grow only to the size that their available resources allow. With the virtual elimination of redsides in Strawberry...and the lack of any small chubs between fry stage and large adults...the kamloops would probably not grow any larger than the current plantings of triploid rainbows. [/#0000ff]
[#0000ff][/#0000ff]
[#0000ff]I have caught kamloops in their native lakes in British Columbia where a big one was 18". Just because they are a certain strain does not mean they will automatically grow huge. They gotta have the groceries.[/#0000ff]
[signature]