Saw some Gold this morning 10/10

[netboy]

I got out on the river early this morning and fishing was pretty good. I am starting to see quite a few active redds so I tied on an apricot colored egg pattern. As usual, the fish on the redds were not interested in feeding as they are busy with their mating ritual. But there are usually some hungry trout just downstream of the redds waiting on a free meal of fresh trout eggs. That was the case this morning.

I saw the biggest Golden rainbow I have ever seen holding on a redd. I was able to get a picture of it with a zoom lens. It looked to be a female and was easily 25" or more. Then a while later a second Golden which looked to be a male and was around 20" approached her from downstream. I got a picture of him also. When he joined her on the redd I backed off to let them do their thing.

First pic is the male approaching.

Second pic is the big female.

Third is a decent rainbow that was holding downstream.

 

[Quillback]

Surprises me that a golden could survive that long to grow that big.  But pretty neat that it did.

[netboy]

1 hour ago, Quillback said:

Surprises me that a golden could survive that long to grow that big.  But pretty neat that it did.

I think the first time they stocked them in the White river was in 2017 after the flood did major damage to the Jim Hinkle hatchery in Mammoth Spring.