400+ cutties in the high country

[jackelope]

check this out to see pic's of goldens:
http://www.ridgecrest.ca.us/~auborn/agua/goldentrout.html

and this one for westslope cutt pics:
http://fwp.mt.gov/fieldguide/detail_AFCHA02088.aspx

[luvtohnt]

Yes but like many animals you can't base it off of one picture. They will have varying shades and coloration. The one thing a cutthroat has regardless of what sub-specied is the jaw slash.

Goldens
http://www.myfishingpictures.com/data/500/medium/golden_trout.JPG
http://library.humboldt.edu/~rls/golden_trout.jpg
http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://cvff.org/images/goldentrout1.jpg&imgrefurl=http://cvff.org/golden_trout.htm&usg=__9T7PFjGiSeV6Lptttwa4NUI35cw=&h=269&w=340&sz=12&hl=en&start=82&tbnid=v6kOZo4l-1bFvM:&tbnh=94&tbnw=119&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dgoldentrout%26start%3D63%26gbv%3D2%26ndsp%3D21%26hl%3Den%26sa%3DN

and cutthroats
http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.ecoangler.com/species/subspecies/images/Westslope_cutthroat_trout_inhand_1_crop350text.JPG&imgrefurl=http://www.ecoangler.com/species/subspecies/Westslope_Cutthroat.html&usg=__ki_qIWhK16XBZAYyC-M3qceIP1k=&h=316&w=350&sz=36&hl=en&start=2&tbnid=2zj7TahCC3yCSM:&tbnh=108&tbnw=120&prev=/images%3Fq%3DWestslope%2Bcutthroat%2Btrout%26gbv%3D2%26hl%3Den%26sa%3DG
http://www.scienceprogress.org/wp-content/uploads/2008/07/fish_591.jpg
http://www.nrmsc.usgs.gov/files/images/Westslope_cutthroat_trout.jpg

Brandon

[boneaddict]

hmmmmm, I see the jaw slashes in those pics.  They are in the slit and its the angle of the pic as far as I was concerned. 

[jackelope]

right...
not here starting a pissing match.
i do however see the slashes in both pictures...just my .02

[jackelope]

luv2hunt...all of the links you posted further my opinion that the fish in the pic's on this thread are not goldens.

[luvtohnt]

First off I don't think this is turning into a pissing match, I was simply showing my point of view. Now if you look at the second picture you can see the barring on the side of the fish in question, cutthroats do not have those bars they are a golden's trait. Secondly I don't see a definate jaw slash on either picture, it may perhapes just  be spawning colors on the golden's. Besides don't you think the guy that stocks them would know what they actually are? Sorry for any frustrations I may have caused.

Brandon

[boneaddict]

They are also a rainbow trait (hence why the goldens have them) and unfortunatly there are very few pure west slope cutts anymore as they hybridize with rainbows quite readily. Again, not positive, but they look nothing like the pure goldens I have caught.  Those had much more prominent par markings.  I agree that WScutts shouldn't have that lateral line as the second fish does. 

[boneaddict]

I just chimed the two biologists that I know, to see if they could talk to us about it.  I would like to know for myself.

[walt]

I would have to say cutthroat.  They are my favorite of the trout and I have probably caught over a thousand in my time. I have only caught 3 goldens so I am no expert on them but the pics look a whole lot more like the cutties I have caught.  Just my thoughts.

[sooperfly]

Wow.. lots of opinions here. 

To clear the record, all the pictures of goldens I have posted ARE goldens, planted by the WDFW.
The second picture of the golden in the hands, is of me, taken by a WDFW Bio.  On that trip we caught/released dozens of goldens.
They were measured/poked/prodded/photographed and various samples sent to the state lab.

On that same trip, in that lake with tons of goldies, lots of them had varying colors. It's something I've noticed over the years. Of all the goldy lakes I've visited and at different times of the year, their colors can vary drastically.  The age of the fish can be factor also.  The can change quite a bit as they get older.

Skepticism is healthy, and why should you believe me?  Ya don't know me from Adam!

This fish pic might help. It was checked by several local and district bios, and also, poked/prodded/photographed/samples taken,  etc, etc, at a Washington State DFW lab.
I think that should be enough hard "proof".  I'm in the record book if you care to look it up.   



And, yes, I do know the difference between cutties and goldies !   

                              [youtube=425,350]<object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="

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[boneaddict]

Very cool sooperfly, I'd have called the fish you are holding a Golden in Spawning colors.  Very distinct.  I still would argue with you in guarded skeptism of the first two posted.  Never claimed to be an expert.  Maybe I have caught a bunch of goldens and didn't realize it.  I was fishing for them. LOL  figured oops, another Cutt.  Congrats on that fish by the way.  Well done!

[boneaddict]

Is that seriously the West slope record.  DANG  I think I have slaughtered that a couple times.  I better quit this catch and release stuff. 

[jackelope]

I better quit this catch and release stuff.

nahhh....don't do that.

[sooperfly]

Is that seriously the West slope record.  DANG  I think I have slaughtered that a couple times.  I better quit this catch and release stuff. 

Yes, and it's not that big. A lot of people didn't realize the record was that small, my friends and I decided to bump it up a bit.  Before this it was 2.43 lbs.  There have been MANY much, much larger fish taken.  Just never recorded.

Here's me with one that's waaaaaaay bigger than my current record. This is the biggest cutt that either the retired ( 30 yr ) or current district bio have ever seen out of a Washington State high lake.  25 inches in length and well over the current record weight.

[boneaddict]

I caught a 7.5 pounder that made wonderful fillets for the fryer on the campfire, rich after all those devoured scuds, same background as that pic .  Most go back though.