Posts: 528
Threads: 0
Joined: May 2003
Reputation:
0
I was under the impression that these were two distinct sub-species of cutt. However, the DWR species info website doesn't even mention the Bear Lake cutt. It says that there are 4 subspecies in Utah (only 3 of them being native): Colorado River cutt, Bonneville cutt, Yellowstone cutt, and the (non-native) Lahontan Cutt. Here are the links.. [url "http://dwrcdc.nr.utah.gov/rsgis2/Search/Display.asp?FlNm=oncoclar"]http://dwrcdc.nr.utah.gov/rsgis2/Search/Display.asp?FlNm=oncoclar[/url]
[url "http://dwrcdc.nr.utah.gov/rsgis2/Search/Display.asp?FlNm=oncoclut"]http://dwrcdc.nr.utah.gov/rsgis2/Search/Display.asp?FlNm=oncoclut[/url]
The section about the Bonneville cutt talks about them being primarily present in Bear Lake and Strawberry. Nothing is ever mentioned about a "Bear Lake cutt." Are they actually the same species or two? I always thought they were two.
[signature]
Posts: 477
Threads: 0
Joined: Nov 2003
Reputation:
0
Good Question! I thought the Bear Lake Cutts were a unique strain of cutthroat trout. However I read this and I guess they are a strain of Bonneville Cutt.
The Bear Lake cutthroat have been the focus of most of the studies on Bear Lake over the last 30 years. Once thought to be hybridized with rainbow, it is now known that the existing fish are essentially a pure population of lake form Bear River Bonneville cutthroat trout.
I found this in a article about Bear Lake Fishing. Here is the link: [url "http://utahoutdoors.com/pages/bear_lake_winter.htm"]http://utahoutdoors.com/pages/bear_lake_winter.htm[/url]
[signature]
Posts: 1,389
Threads: 0
Joined: Apr 2003
Reputation:
0
Utah has only two species of cuts. Bonnevilles and Colorado river cuts. Bear lakes are the most common in Utah because of the size. I'd say they are most unappealing cut as well. Yellowstones are hard to find now since they quit stocking those and replaced them with native cuts. Most of the Yellowstones I catch were stocked in the 60's.
I'd have to say both native strains are quite colorful and more eye appealing with regards to the spots and color hew.
[signature]
Posts: 733
Threads: 0
Joined: Feb 2003
Reputation:
0
Try to find a newer report. There is a new strain of Cuts here in Utah. The Strawberry Cutthroat. I read the story last year about how the DWR thought what they had planted in there was a strain of the native Bear Lake Cut. but made a little oopsie when they did the breeding of the brood stock and actually produced a new strain that they affectionately call the Strawberry Cutthroat. I'll try to find a link to the story. I believe I read it in the S.L. Trib.
[signature]
Posts: 528
Threads: 0
Joined: May 2003
Reputation:
0
You can still catch Yellowstone Cutts in the Grouse Creek Mountains.
Also, I used to work at the Paradise Pond fishing pond when I was in high school. The guy that was leasing it owns a fish farm up in Star Valley. He put some westslope cutts in there. While I worked there, someone thought it would be fun to pull out the grates keeping the fish from escaping to the Mill Pond. A lot of fish got out. I wouldn't doubt it if there were a few westslope cutts that got out and are still lurking in there.
[signature]
Posts: 3,536
Threads: 1
Joined: Jul 2003
Reputation:
0
There are also some native Yellowstone cutts in the Uintah mountains as well. They are awesome!!! Their colors are much brighter and more brilliant than most other cutthroat strains. You can catch them in the Uinta River or Yellowstone River on the South Slope of the Uintahs. I'm sure there are a few other streams up there that have them too. If you've never seen one of these laser orange/yellow cutthroats then you're really missing out!
[signature]
Posts: 3,536
Threads: 1
Joined: Jul 2003
Reputation:
0
Hey Curtis please do! I've caught one or two of them when I was a kid fishing with my dad, but no pictures. They're AWESOME!
[signature]
Posts: 733
Threads: 0
Joined: Feb 2003
Reputation:
0
It was just a little guy. About 12-13" and unfortunately the pic is of the fish in my sink. I had gone up for a few of the numerous Brookies in there for a nice dinner when I caught it. I kept it, thinking it was a freak. Now I know what it was, I wouldn't keep another. I'll find it when I get home and get it scanned in.
[signature]
Posts: 3,536
Threads: 1
Joined: Jul 2003
Reputation:
0
Cool. Yeah I'm sure they don't typically grow much bigger than that. Since they only inhabit those small streams, it limits their size. Just imagine what a big 22 incher that color would look like!
For those who are wondering, I have included this drawing that doesn't even give it justice but gets the general idea:
[image]http://www.bigfishtackle.com/cgi-bin/gforum/gforum.cgi?do=post_attachment;postatt_id=3005;[/image]
[signature]
Posts: 528
Threads: 0
Joined: May 2003
Reputation:
0
This is a photo, but from the description my friends have given me of the Yellowstone cutts, it also doesn't do them justice.
[signature]
Posts: 3,536
Threads: 1
Joined: Jul 2003
Reputation:
0
Beautiful fish, but they get much much brighter.
[signature]
Posts: 2,514
Threads: 0
Joined: Jan 2004
Reputation:
1
I just moved back to the state after a 14 year absence, but "back in the day" before the more native cutts were used in stocking, the yellowstone cutt was the most common one around. The upper Provo above Woodland had a terrific yellowstone fishery. The dwr put in some snake river cutts there so some hybridization is inevitible (not to mention hybridization with the rainbows) but I got to fish there once after I returned and I hooked up a few beauties still. Electric lake and the tributaries (esp the streams around Boulger lake) also have some beauties including some of good size. As for the color, I have noticed they turn a more olive to gray color in larger streams and lakes and aren't as spectacular.
[signature]
Posts: 327
Threads: 0
Joined: Sep 2003
Reputation:
0
Years ago when Idaho and Utah worked together on the cutthroat spawn,Utah took the eggs to Utah hatcheries with the agreement that all fish were to be returned to the Bear Lake. Well Utah had all these new reservoirs that needed stocking. Hence the BL cutt in Strawberry. I believe that Idaho cut Utah off from gathering eggs in the St.Charles creek.go figure[unsure]
Posts: 1,596
Threads: 0
Joined: Oct 2002
Reputation:
0
hey nobody actually answered your question. the bonneville is the same as a bear lake cutt. as all trout they tend to look different depending on the water they are in.
[signature]
Posts: 402
Threads: 0
Joined: Jan 2004
Reputation:
0
Back in the late '80s I caught a few big Cutts on the Green that were the most outrageous fluoresent orange of any trout I've ever seen. You could see them from a long way away. I haven't fished there for a while so I don't know if there are any left.
FM
[signature]
Posts: 311
Threads: 0
Joined: Jan 2004
Reputation:
0
I caught a 21"+ cutt at the Berry in January and this fish was the most brilliant color of red in a fish I have ever seen. It was much more colorful that the cutts you usually find. Was this a different variety or was it just getting into its spawning colors just a little early?
[signature]
Posts: 582
Threads: 0
Joined: Aug 2002
Reputation:
0
[size 2]Everything you ever wanted to know (and then some) about the Bonneville Cutthroat:[/size]
[url "http://mountain-prairie.fws.gov/endspp/fish/bct/bct_status_review.pdf"][size 2]http://mountain-prairie.fws.gov/endspp/fish/bct/bct_status_review.pdf[/size][/url]
[url "http://mountain-prairie.fws.gov/endspp/fish/bct/UtahConservationAgreement.pdf"][size 2]http://mountain-prairie.fws.gov/endspp/fish/bct/UtahConservationAgreement.pdf[/size][/url]
[size 2]Some interesting facts and figures: [/size] [ul] [li][size 2]The first scientifically described Bonneville Cutthroat was captured from Utah Lake in the late 1850s. [/size] [li][size 2]Historic accounts of Bonneville Cutthroat in Utah Lake suggest fish may have reached 40 inches in length. Reportedly, some Bonneville Cutthroat taken from Utah Lake attained weights of over 25 pounds. [/size] [li][size 2]Mr. Peter Madsen, a commercial fisherman, said that one haul from Utah Lake in 1864 weighed from 4290 to 4560 lbs compared to the same haul in 1872 which averaged approximately 540 lbs. In 1889, a seine haul of 120 lbs was considered good.[/size][/li][/ul]
[signature]
Posts: 528
Threads: 0
Joined: May 2003
Reputation:
0
I've heard a lot of those glory day stories about the cutts in Utah Lake. It would have been great to see.
Last year while fishing for whites down at the pumps my buddy actually caught a cutthroat. It had almost no color to it whatsoever, but there are still a few in there.
[signature]
Posts: 1,389
Threads: 0
Joined: Apr 2003
Reputation:
0
The glory days for me were only 15 years ago. We used to pack in a couple lakes and catch tons of 18-24" yellowstones all day. Almost nobody knew about those lakes since they wasn't maped until a couple years ago and it wasn't even close to a trail or road. The fun part about getting there is you could get lost easily. I still go to those lakes but some idiots decided they need to make a new atv trail 5 miles into some place that never had a trail. The best lake filled in with silt and the other still has 18" cuts and easy to get to now. I just wish they would close that dang trail and dredge them.
[signature]
. The biologist said it was a Yellowstone. How pretty can a fish get?