400+ cutties in the high country

[boneaddict]

I'll have to get soem better pics of my next "goldens" to see if they qualify or not.  Now I wonder.

[popeshawnpaul]

It looks like a golden to me.  It has the black bars, although faint, down the side of the fish.  It also has some golden color and markings on fins.

I have caught goldens in probably 25+ different lakes.  They never look the same for some reason.  To make matters even more complicated, they will hybrid with other species in the lakes sometimes.  There is a lake I know of near Glacier peak that use to have golden/cutt hybrid fish.  I took some into the biologist in Mill Creek back at the time to determine age etc.  It was the most beautiful fish I have ever seen.  (and great tasting)

Back in high school my goal was to catch goldens and go for the record.  I never got close to the record but I tried.  Back when the record was broke in the 90's, I tried to break the record at upper enchantments which is where the previous record was taken.  I have heard of the lake or lakes Sooper has pictures of there.  I have never been there and heard it was a long long hike...lol.  I vow to make a golden trout trip this year and I'll take plenty of pictures and do a thread on it.  It would be fun.

Sooper knows his stuff.  My money is on him.

[tlbradford]

Any of you read Chuck Yeagers Biography?  I love his stories about stocking goldens in the high country lakes.

[Skyvalhunter]

I know that some of my fellow Hilakers have planted plenty of Goldens in the years back. But some of them have went thru there 8yr or so cycle and died off. But I will continue the quest.

[boneaddict]

How do you get involved in it.  Go to the WDFW and inquire. I amke plenty of hikes intot he back country.  It would be cool to get some of them with more fish, especially since I heard restocking efforts were going to get hammered due to budget cuts and that was prior to this last round.

[popeshawnpaul]

I use to go to local Trailblazer meetings back in high school Bone.  They were fun.  I went on one planting trip and it was a good time.  I would say find a local Hilaker or Trailblazer club.  There is a guy around named Curtis that makes the high mountain raft the Curtis Raft.  He knows his stuff and does a lot of this.  It would be great to get him on here.  I've tried to contact him about it but didn't get a response some time ago.  Maybe I'll try again.  There is a trailblazer forum I know but last time I checked it wasn't very active.

[walt]

I guess I never realized how much a big golden can look like a cutt.  The only goldens I have caught were small and had very distinct bands and coloring.

[boneaddict]

Thanks Pope.  There are a couple lakes that I go into that historically have had them but have cycled out.  I'd love to see if I could get some more planted.

[sooperfly]

Walt and Brian Curtis have discontinued their "Curtis Raft".  If I'm not mistaken, this was well over a year ago.
They are highly prized, once you use one ya gotta have it! 

The trailblazers and hilakers are a great asset to the high lake fisheries.  However, you don't have to be a member of a group to plant fish.
Call up your local bio and volunteer. They need all the help they can get. 

[boneaddict]

   sounds good

[cascademountainhunter]

man that sounds like fun fishin in the high country. nice lookin fish you get up there too.

[Dmanmastertracker]

 Not like the Golden's I've seen, but nice fish anyways.

 Is there anywhere you can get Cutt fry to stock private ponds? We have a beaver pond on our property that used to have a ton of Cutts until the otter's fished it out years ago.