? about identifying a cutthroat

[billy b]

Thursday of last week I caught what I thought was a 4# cutt at Caples Lake. I'm questioning because it had little if any spots on the side ... and definitely wasn't spotted like cutts that I have caught before. It also was not as colorful as a regular rainbow ... but did have the pinkish-red stripe down the side ... and had the two red stripes under the mouth.

Thanks for any thoughts and comments.

I do have picture that maybe I can figure out how to post.

[SierraPeaks]

Thursday of last week I caught what I thought was a 4# cutt at Caples Lake. I'm questioning because it had little if any spots on the side ... and definitely wasn't spotted like cutts that I have caught before. It also was not as colorful as a regular rainbow ... but did have the pinkish-red stripe down the side ... and had the two red stripes under the mouth.

Thanks for any thoughts and comments.

I do have picture that maybe I can figure out how to post.


Billy...there are diffferent kinds of cutts. Some are more colorful than others. The cutts I caught in Utah (Bear Lake Cutthroats) had hardly any color at all but had the orange fins and reddish orange around the gills. They get more colorful too in spawning season. A pic would be most helpful.

[City Dad]

Yeah, what SierraPeaks said. Lots of different strains of cutthroats.

I once wrote to a biologist at the University of Washington to settle a bet between my brother and me. My brother insisted that cutthroats were native to both the eastern and western slopes of the Rockies. I said no way, not possible - there's no way a fish could have migrated across the continental divide. Turns out my brother was right. The cutthroat species is actually older than the present drainage system of the Rocky Mountains. Pretty cool fact if you're into geography and trout.

[smokehound]

Did it have a white marking on the anal fin? If so, it's more likely you had a rainbow trout/hybrid.

Cutthroats hybridize with rainbows alot, so we cant be sure unless you give us a picture.

When making a reply, see those little icons? One of them is a small speech bubble.

the third-from-the left icon is the attach image function, which allows you to directly place an image from your desktop into it.

[billy b]

My local tackle shop said my description fit a cuttbow. Thanks all.

[SierraPeaks]

Yeah, what SierraPeaks said. Lots of different strains of cutthroats.

I once wrote to a biologist at the University of Washington to settle a bet between my brother and me. My brother insisted that cutthroats were native to both the eastern and western slopes of the Rockies. I said no way, not possible - there's no way a fish could have migrated across the continental divide. Turns out my brother was right. The cutthroat species is actually older than the present drainage system of the Rocky Mountains. Pretty cool fact if you're into geography and trout.

I agree City Daddio.
I learn something new all the time. For instance...I recently learned there are landlocked steelhead in the western sierras.
Few and far between. But they are there.

[Mike274]

Also, the Lohatian Cutts don't have many if any spots.

Mike

[teejay]

I caught my first cutthroat two weeks ago at McCloud Lake in the Mammoth Lakes area. My nephew took some pictures and I have been trying to get him to email them to me so that I can post a report ( A camera for me is on my Christmas wish list).
I understand that the fish in McCloud are pure Lahontan strain while the cutties in Caples are Lahontan/rainbow hybrids. I caught five fish ranging from five to twelve inches and it seemed to me that the smaller fish were more heavily spotted than the larger fish.
If you go, McCloud Lake is under special regulations with zero limit and barbless hooks.

[SierraPeaks]

I caught my first cutthroat two weeks ago at McCloud Lake in the Mammoth Lakes area. My nephew took some pictures and I have been trying to get him to email them to me so that I can post a report ( A camera for me is on my Christmas wish list).
I understand that the fish in McCloud are pure Lahontan strain while the cutties in Caples are Lahontan/rainbow hybrids. I caught five fish ranging from five to twelve inches and it seemed to me that the smaller fish were more heavily spotted than the larger fish.
If you go, McCloud Lake is under special regulations with zero limit and barbless hooks.

The only McCloud Lake I'm aware of is in McCloud, California in the Mt. Shasta area. Are you sure about the name of the lake ? And did you have to hike into it ?

[SierraPeaks]

The only McCloud Lake I'm aware of is in McCloud, California in the Mt. Shasta area. Are you sure about the name of the lake ? And did you have to hike into it ?

OK...you threw me for a loop there for a minute.
You're talking about McLeod Lake near Horseshoe Lake...right ??

[teejay]

OK...you threw me for a loop there for a minute.
You're talking about McLeod Lake near Horseshoe Lake...right ??

Yes, that's the one. I guess it's spelled two different ways. It's a half mile hike above Horseshoe.

[SierraPeaks]

Yes, that's the one. I guess it's spelled two different ways. It's a half mile hike above Horseshoe.

I'm happy to hear that fish are coming out of McLeod. I haven't been there in decades because I assumed the fish died there as they did in Horseshoe Lake, and nobody told me different...until now.
That's what I get for assuming huh ?
Thanks Tee.