I was curious to know if cutthroat trout were the only native trout. Is this true? I have heard that the brown was from Germany and where are the rainbows from? John
Rainbows, brookies and cutts are all native to different areas of the US. The brown is the only one that is not native to this country.
Steve
“If there are no dogs in Heaven, then when I die I want to go where they went”-Will Rogers
Thanks Steve. It realy doesn’t matter. They are all fun to catch! I was just curious. John
Rainbow trout are native to western North America, and the eastern Pacific. From California to Alaska. They are both anadromous and land locked. Their fighting spirit and propencity to jump clear of the water, have made them worldwide favorites, and thus they have been relocated to almost every body of water that can support them. They are truly a beautiful fish. No wonder everybody likes them. I feel priveledged to live in their habitat. Even if a true native Rainbow is hard to find.
He Knocks. You Only Have To Ask.
thats actually not entirely true, loteckjoe. the only native trout to california are the golden and the piute cutthroat. all other species found in this state are introduced.
packers and miners brought brooks, browns and bows from neighboring states to stock nearby streams and lakes for food. they would stock the waters, and the populations of trout would then provide long-term fresh meat. however, the habitat was so conducive to trout populations, that our native golden started to become overrun by ferral species.
in the late 30’s and early 40’s the california wildlife department started a netting program to remove some of the large browns and rainbows from these bodies of water. there are pictures of game wardens with stringers of 10-15 browns over 15lbs. Convict Lake, just up the road from my house, was famous(or infamous, depending on who you talk to) for being home to some of the largest browns in the state at the time.
of course, california’s coastal waters certainly got its share of sea-run trout, but throughout most of the state, goldens and the occasional piute cutty were all that could be found.
Everyone dies. Only the lucky ever truly Live. Take your time.
Chris-Bishop, CA, USA
tyflier,
Thanks for straightening me out. I do appreciate the correction. Sometimes I think I know it all. I thought you could originally find Rainbows in some of the Northern California streams. Still though, I think the true natives are tough to find anywhere anymore.
He Knocks. You Only Have To Ask.
FYI Here is a list of Historical Native Trout found in California!
coastal cutthroat trout Oncorhynchus clarki clarki
Lahontan cutthroat trout O. c. henshawi
Paiute cutthroat trout O. c. seleniris
coastal rainbow trout/steelhead O. mykiss irideus
Eagle Lake rainbow trout O. m. aquilarum
Kern River rainbow trout O. m. gilberti
Goose Lake redband trout O. m. subspecies
McCloud River redband trout O. m. subspecies
Warner Valley redband trout O. m. subspecies
Little Kern golden trout O. m. whitei
California golden trout 4 O. m. aguabonita
bull trout (char) Salvelinus confluentus
Joe’s list of native CA trout seems consistent with my memory. My library is packed up while we are in the middle of a major home remodel so I don’t have my references handy - But rainbow trout varieties (and steelhead) are native to most if not all CA waters (including Baja where there are remnant populations to this day) that drain to the Pacific Ocean.
I have a couple of sources that indicate something to the effect that the ancestors of Rainbow trout are ancient Cutthroat trout that worked their way to the Sea of Cortez via the Colorado River drainage and eventually evolved in to the fish we know as the Steelhead which populated the pacific rim from Baja to Alaska and into Siberia. The various CA native rainbows and goldens are descendants of those steelhead.
Some info on native CA trout can be found here: [url=http://www.dfg.ca.gov/fishing/html/WildAndHeritageTrout/trout/TroutGallery_0.htm:f6a61]www.dfg.ca.gov/fishing/html/WildAndHeritageTrout/trout/TroutGallery_0.htm[/url:f6a61]
i guess maybe i shouldnt rely so heavily on local knowledge vs. published knowledge.
thank you guys, for setting me straight.
Everyone dies. Only the lucky ever truly Live. Take your time.
Chris-Bishop, CA, USA
I didn’t realize that there were so many different species of trout native to the US. Where can I find info about native species in Missouri or are there any? John
No matter what you think you know, you will always find out there is more to know. With thought in mind, what is your favorite fly for river Rainbows. You can suggest dry flies as the best approach, or nymphs and streamers. It doesn’t matter which, as we all want bent rods. What say folks? Mine is the Elk Hair Caddis dry fly in whatever size is appropriate. First light? Last light? It don’t matter. GO FOR IT!
He Knocks. You Only Have To Ask.
Tyflier, check this site out if you want to know more about California fish, native and otherwise.
[url=http://ice.ucdavis.edu/aquadiv/fishcovs/fishmaps.html:33e48]http://ice.ucdavis.edu/aquadiv/fishcovs/fishmaps.html[/url:33e48]
In addition to the species mentioned, I believe that the Dolly Varden, Bull Trout and the Lake Trout are also native to the US.
Tim Anderson