05-03-2007, 07:35 PM
Limiting factors fellas. Limiting factors...
Size is determined by limiting factors. Is strain (Kamloops vs. Sand Creek vs. Desmet vs. Gerard vs. Hoffer) really the limiting factor in growing large trout - all other things being equal?
Or, are other factors coming into play that limit the size of different strains of Rainbow Trout?
Typically, other bottlenecks affect the potential size of a rainbow trout long before strain ever comes into play. Flygodess brought up bird predation. In a lake like Minersville, Kamloops would never get very big due to the time of year they spawn. Sand Creek Rainbows are used in Minersville because the time of year they spawn. This gives the DWR the opportunity to plant these fish in the fall when Cormorants are not around. The fish grown to a size large enough to escape predation in the spring when cormorants show up. Kamloops couldn't do this.
In a lake like Strawberry, what is currently limiting the rainbows from getting big? Is it strain? Or is it harvest, food, elevation, winter growth period, etc? Would any of this change if Kamloops were used? Doubtful.
Are the historic big rainbows from the Gorge really Kamloops strain? Or, were conditions right to grow big fish anyway?
Why don't they get big in their native home waters of Kamloops? Why didn't they get big in Mantua when they were being stocked there?
Limiting factors. Strain wasn't the bottleneck.
People jump on the Kamloops bandwagon all the time. The DWR could jump in as well and stock the heck out of Kamloops. Unfortunately, I don't believe that Kamloops would do any better than the current strain of rainbows Utah stocks. The reason is habitat and conditions. If the conditions are conducive to grow big fish, then the current strains will also get big.
The bottleneck simply isn't strain.
Here is some very good info on rainbow trout strain selection in B.C.:
[url "http://www.gofishbc.com/SiteCM/U/D/2208A06B4B85CFDB.pdf"]http://www.gofishbc.com/SiteCM/U/D/2208A06B4B85CFDB.pdf[/url]
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Size is determined by limiting factors. Is strain (Kamloops vs. Sand Creek vs. Desmet vs. Gerard vs. Hoffer) really the limiting factor in growing large trout - all other things being equal?
Or, are other factors coming into play that limit the size of different strains of Rainbow Trout?
Typically, other bottlenecks affect the potential size of a rainbow trout long before strain ever comes into play. Flygodess brought up bird predation. In a lake like Minersville, Kamloops would never get very big due to the time of year they spawn. Sand Creek Rainbows are used in Minersville because the time of year they spawn. This gives the DWR the opportunity to plant these fish in the fall when Cormorants are not around. The fish grown to a size large enough to escape predation in the spring when cormorants show up. Kamloops couldn't do this.
In a lake like Strawberry, what is currently limiting the rainbows from getting big? Is it strain? Or is it harvest, food, elevation, winter growth period, etc? Would any of this change if Kamloops were used? Doubtful.
Are the historic big rainbows from the Gorge really Kamloops strain? Or, were conditions right to grow big fish anyway?
Why don't they get big in their native home waters of Kamloops? Why didn't they get big in Mantua when they were being stocked there?
Limiting factors. Strain wasn't the bottleneck.
People jump on the Kamloops bandwagon all the time. The DWR could jump in as well and stock the heck out of Kamloops. Unfortunately, I don't believe that Kamloops would do any better than the current strain of rainbows Utah stocks. The reason is habitat and conditions. If the conditions are conducive to grow big fish, then the current strains will also get big.
The bottleneck simply isn't strain.
Here is some very good info on rainbow trout strain selection in B.C.:
[url "http://www.gofishbc.com/SiteCM/U/D/2208A06B4B85CFDB.pdf"]http://www.gofishbc.com/SiteCM/U/D/2208A06B4B85CFDB.pdf[/url]
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