Norfork Rainbow

[hornyheadchub]

River Runner, I fisht he little red every weekend and I thought the dark ones the fresh stockers? and the chromers the fish that have been in the river longer? I came to this conclusion from the fact the hatchery fish are almost I guess Im wrong?

I think that this is subject to a great many variables, not the least of which includes strain of fish, time of year it was spawned, the time of year in relation to it's spawning season, preferred diet of said fish, and perferred location for said fish in the water column.

Did anyone notice the one fin on the fish is missing? I just did and I just caught one on the red yesterday like that darn hatchery tanks bangs up the fish pretty bad I guess

Concrete hatchery pens are real good at wearing away the pectoral and sometimes the pelvic fins too. However, if not all of it is ground off, it will likely regenerate if given enough time. Adipose will likely always regenerate if given enough time. Some fisheries and indeed some fish producers clip fins intentionally, here's a link to a company that provides the equipment for such an operation.

[AKflyfisher]

Yea I am aware of how they clip hatchery salmon/steelhead in the north so you can easily identify wild or hatchery because most of the wild fish are protected. But on these fish the side fins by the gill plate is completly gone

[Kayser]

It's the same for all of the stocker browns on the Current River, one of their pectoral fins is clipped, and the tail is usually rounded. Most of the fins on the stocked rainbows are worn down, and have some scarring on their noses. The prettiest fish I've caught out of the Current was a 11" bow that had no scarring, full fins (deep red with spots white tips), and brilliant pink sides.

After seeing the inside of fish that have been in the river for a long time (long enough to regrow all their fins), I think that the color of the flesh is naturally orange on a natural varied diet, but is a pasty grey-white when fed hatchery food, and can change according to diet.

Rob

[brownieman]

Allow me to illustrate....

First is a respectable White River Brown from the Wildcat Shoals area. When +7 units are online, fishing can be tough

Next up, a Norfork Brown caught the following day

And a Brook from the Norfork

Very well taken beautiful pictures...good job...I only have one question.

Not being as familiar with brooks and cuts as I am browns and rainbows... is the last pic a brook or cut ?

Just a question on my part due to ignorance and lack of catching many of either.

Thanks...brownieman

[AKflyfisher]

that is a Brookie, A cut would look something like a rainbow minus the redband and less spots up front

[hornyheadchub]

... is the last pic a brook or cut ?

That's a Brookie. Though not technically a Trout, but a member of the Salvelinus or Char family (Etymology: Salvelinus is an old name for char; it is the same root of german "saibling" = little salmon ), many fish we call Trout are actually Char. This Wiki entry lists some.

I was told many years ago that the water needed to be running to catch Brookies at Norfork tailwater, and though I have caught a few around Maclellan's, they were all less than 8". Since I've been fishing from a boat when the water is on, I can just about guarantee Brookies with the right bait and in the right area below the dam.