Posts: 139
Threads: 0
Joined: May 2003
Reputation:
0
I noticed the strawberry rainbow/hybrid discussion came up again. Figured I would put my 2 cents in. I have posted a pic of a rainbow and a hybrid both were caught at strawberry a few years back. Both are around the same size although you can see some differences.Take a look and you can see the back fin on the hybrid. It was clearly a wild fish that was not born in a hatchery. It occured from natural reproduction at strawberry. Crossbreeding may be rare, but a small percent of rainbow trout up there are fertile and can reproduce. The hybrid is the result.
[signature]
Posts: 2,393
Threads: 34
Joined: Sep 2002
Reputation:
2
[font "Arial Alternative"][red] [font "Arial Black"][red]Wow, that is a very nice Trout you are holding. What were you using for bait? [/red][/font][/red][/font]
[font "Arial Black"][#ff0000][/#ff0000][/font]
[font "Arial Black"][#ff0000] AFDan52[/#ff0000][/font]
[signature]
Posts: 139
Threads: 0
Joined: May 2003
Reputation:
0
They were both caught flyfishing with wollybuggers in the fall.
[signature]
Posts: 1,762
Threads: 0
Joined: May 2003
Reputation:
0
very nice fish
[signature]
Posts: 3,088
Threads: 22
Joined: Jul 2003
Reputation:
13
[reply]
Take a look and you can see the back fin on the hybrid. It was clearly a wild fish that was not born in a hatchery. It occured from natural reproduction at strawberry. [/reply]
How do you figure? Does anyone on this site (or any other site) realize what a fingerling stocked fish is? Fingerling are fish that are around 10cm in length. Fingerling DO NOT have fin damage. Fin damage only show up in fish that are reared to "catchable" size (around 10"). These fish have been in the hatchery much longer, which is the reason for the fin damage.
Fin damage is about the worst identification tool I have heard of yet...
[signature]
Posts: 349
Threads: 0
Joined: Jul 2003
Reputation:
0
PBH>> [size 1]Does anyone on this site (or any other site) realize what a fingerling stocked fish is?[/size]
[size 1][/size]
[size 1]No, you're the only one.[/size]
Posts: 139
Threads: 0
Joined: May 2003
Reputation:
0
From what I understand they do not stock fingerling rainbow trout at strawberry. I may be wrong. The reason I mention the fin is because it is a fat reserve. Only a fish that eats a protien rich diet gets a fin like that. I am sure a hatchery trout does not get fed that well in its first part of its life. Utah does not stock hybrids in strawberry therefore it must be a wild fish.
[signature]
Posts: 3,088
Threads: 22
Joined: Jul 2003
Reputation:
13
The DWR does stock fingerling in Strawberry -- just look at the stocking records. It would be almost impossible to keep Strawberry Res stocked with catchables.
Also, the rainbows planted in strawberry are triploid (which makes them sterile), to prevent interbreeding with the cutts.
"[size 1] I am sure a hatchery trout does not get fed that well in its first part of its life."[/size]
Your talking about fish under 5"! the fish you caught looks to be around 18-20". I'm sure it has had a pretty good diet, since it was stocked!
I hate to burst your bubble, but your not catching cutt-bows....
Nice rainbows. good fish.
[signature]
Posts: 245
Threads: 0
Joined: Sep 2003
Reputation:
0
[size 1]"the fish you caught looks to be around 18-20". "[/size]
[size 1][/size]
[size 1]Come on, give the guy credit somewhere, those are bigger than 20" rainbows.[/size]
[signature]
Posts: 3,088
Threads: 22
Joined: Jul 2003
Reputation:
13
your probably right. They look closer to 22-24". Nice fish!
[signature]
Posts: 139
Threads: 0
Joined: May 2003
Reputation:
0
The rainbow was 27" and 9lbs. The so-called hybrid was 24" and 7lbs. Both were well over the 18-20" range. I do not claim to catch hybrids at strawberry all the time. That is the only one I can recall.Even the DWR acknowledeges that its sterilization process is not 100%. Some sterile rainbow do get stocked in the lake. I used to fish Henrys Lake in Idaho alot. In that lake there are cutts,hybrids, and brookies. When you catch a hybrid out of that lake there is no question on it being a rainbow or hybrid. If you have caught enough hybrids you can tell the difference. Here is another pic of the hybrid in question next too 3 other stawberry fish. Can you identify the other 3 fish? This picture was taken before the new regs. No bashing me for having slot fish on my stringer.
