Trout Species –
Cutthroat Trout and Golden Trout
By Brett
Fogle
Cutthroat
Trout: Cutthroat Trout are generally found only in high alpine
lakes or in some selected areas of the Pacific
Northwest.
The Cutthroat
Trout is the original trout of the Rocky Mountains. Unlike
Brown Trout which were originally introduced to the Eastern
United States, Cutthroat Trout are originally from the Western
half of the United States.
What
separates the Cutthroat Trout from other trout is that
Cutthroat Trout are found primarily in remote and pristine
locations. Unlike their larger cousins, the rainbows and the
browns, Cutthroat Trout tend to fare poorly in highly
competitive environments – especially when predatory fish like
Pike are introduced into their waters. As such, the range of
the Cutthroat Trout has been driven back over the
years.
While
Cutthroat Trout are still found in good numbers in many of the
rivers in Montana (such as the Yellowstone), the best Cutthroat
Trout fishing will usually now be found deep in the backcountry
- in isolated mountain lakes and streams. This requires lots of
effort by the angler just to reach the Cutthroat Trout, because
they are often found in very remote areas. Cutthroat Trout do
not receive as much fly-fishing pressure as their rainbow and
Brown Trout cousins. As such, they are generally easier to
catch and found in greater numbers. However, Cutthroat Trout do
not get as large as rainbow or Brown Trout, and generally lack
the aerial abilities that other trout display when
hooked.
Cutthroat
Trout can be easily identified by the two red slashes under
and on the outside of its lower jaw. The sides of the
Cutthroat Trout are brownish yellow and are highlighted with
black spots. Other colorings of Cutthroat Trout can occur,
but only as a result of crossbreeding between Rainbow Trout
and Brown Trout, and are called cut-bow trout.
Golden Trout:
Rare and elusive, the Golden Trout inhabit some of the most
remote lakes in the United States.
The Golden
Trout is one elusive species of trout. Golden Trout have
very limited range, as they are only found in high alpine
lakes and streams found in the Rocky Mountains and the
Cascades. Because of this, reaching good Golden Trout waters
is no easy task – usually requiring a long hike or horse
pack in.
Additionally,
due to the environment in which the Golden Trout live in
(very cold, low nutrient water), Golden Trout are generally
quite small, as there is just not enough food to support
larger trout.
Despite the
relatively low fishing pressure they receive, Golden Trout
can be somewhat difficult to catch, as they tend to be
fickle about what they eat. Moreover, not all high alpine
lakes and rivers contain these trout – so simply locating
waters that have good Golden Trout populations can be an
effort in and of itself.
That said,
since Golden Trout live in the most beautiful scenery in the
United States, a day spent looking for or fishing for Golden
Trout can never be wasted– even if you don’t catch any. For
an angler looking to catch trout in a splendid and scenic
environment, chasing the Golden Trout is the way
go.
It’s hard to
miss a Golden Trout, as their name conveys. These beautiful
trout are golden in color, so are hard to mistake for other
types of fish. The Golden Trout also has a scattering of
black spots and a red striping along its lateral line, belly
and gill plates.
Since Golden
Trout are not very common, it is recommended that anglers
who catch Golden Trout release them instead of eating them.
If you’re looking for a fish you can eat, go hook some Brook
Trout instead. Brookies are usually found in the same waters
as Golden Trout are, but are not nearly as rare. Most agree
they taste better too!
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