Is This A Brown Trout?

[John W Kelly]

Interesting way to breathe.

[SpoonDog]

Yep, it's a brown. And if MDC were removing pectoral fins to identify year classes, one would expect all the similarly-size browns in all the waters of the state to also be missing their left pectorals, too.

I bet they're not, though, because I bet MDC isn't clipping pectorals. More than likely, the fin erosion is due to hatchery conditions.

[fishinwrench]

There's a considerable amount of contradiction going on here....

Gavin 05 Jun 2012

The biologists do use fin clips as an indicator of when a fish was stocked. Usually adiopose, and the left or right pectoral fins when they stock and it varies by year class.. or Tail fin clips when doing sampling. ...and they reclip previosly clipped fins when sampling....

Not sure how the Feds do it....my only experience with clipping fins is on the Current, and the fins definetly do grow back...unless you clip really short...the biologists like that...and they said I was good with the scissors ;>)

Phil Lilley 07 Jun 2012

Clipping- they have clipped brown trout fins to identify their age. They don't grow back.

And I said I didn't care to argue the point..... Did anyone really believe that?

[fishinwrench]

Note the mention of "pectoral" numerous times...

http://web.nrdpfc.ca/finclip.htm

Also note the mention of removing ALL of the pectoral vs. Just a piece of it.

Why are y'all in such denial over this ? You're being weird.

[fishinwrench]

This quote snipped from Arkansas F&G PDF document ....

this year's stocking of 8 in. with a left pectoral fin clip.

Missouri isn't any better/smarter/holier than they are.

[Quillback]

I'm wondering why they would clip the one of the pectorals? It's not a useless fin. Why not clip the adipose?

[Feathers and Fins]

Here is a simple solution. Microchip them and put a fricken tag in their backs, only reason left with technology today for clipping is DNA and in hatchery fish is that really that needed on large scale?

[Chief Grey Bear]

Ok whatever.

I think I am becoming bitter about Missouri TROUT....by default.

I think you are just bitter about life.

[laker67]

OH boy, here we go again, I think Bill Clemens said it best, but I just can't recall what exactly he said. Had something to do with, well, I don't recall.

[motroutbum]

Here is a simple solution. Microchip them and put a fricken tag in their backs, only reason left with technology today for clipping is DNA and in hatchery fish is that really that needed on large scale?

Simple Solution? Micro chipping is expensive. Putting a tag in their back works, but the tags can and are taken out by fisherman making it difficult to tell if the fish was tagged in the first place during mark/recapture studies. Clipping the fin is a quick and easy way to identify them when MDC does shocking surveys. Micro chipping fish requires more equipment and time when they are on the boat as you would have to scan every fish that comes into the boat. It is much easier to have visual cues.