Golden Trout

The photographer seems to be associated with Stonycreekanglers in PA. They have a trout nursery for stocking their creek, so I am assuming it is a variety they bought to stock.

Kind of cool coloration. There is getting to be a lot of variations around!

wow.. I guess there bigger varieties than I thought.. Im guessing genetics .. but Im not the expert.. but cool looking fish in both cases.. :slight_smile:

MacFly :sunglasses:

http://www.fish.state.pa.us/…ish/trout_golden.htm

These are heavily stocked in WV and they originated in a hatchery here from a naturally occuring genetic mutation of rainbow, which was then selectively bred. I don’t care for them. I don’t think they fight even as well as typical stockers.

The records in WV for the golden rainbow are considerably below the record for rainbow:

[left]Golden Rainbow

[left]1998 26.4 9.31 Brushy Fork Lake Danny Crider

[left]1987 27.5 8.63 Stonecoal Lake Gerald Estep

[left]

[left]Rainbow

[left]2005 30.5 15.65 Pond - M*onroe Co. *Aaron Propps

[left]1993 31.7 11.74 Stonecoal Lake John P. Arnett

[left]I’m not a scientist but I’d guess the genetics are such they can’t quite grow as big as non-deformed ones. Of course, bows get a lot larger some places than they do in WV, so I assume the goldens could get bigger in more fertile waters but probably not as big as the rainbows in those waters. Of course, there is a reason they are exceedingly rare naturally. Being bright and visible is not a good thing in terms of natural selection for prey

But I am sure the eagles and ospreys LOVE them!:laughing::laughing::laughing:

No kidding…“clean up in isle 3”

and the bears… but as for eagles… can they see a blue fish in blue water??? [sly]

MacFly :sunglasses: