Trout: Differences between farms? (Alpers, Calaveras, Jess Ranch, Tailwalkers etc...)

[Ultralight]

A friend gave me an Alper he had caught up in the Sierras. We just cooked it up and that was a revelation. Pink meat that stayed pink after cooking (unlike some dyed pink trout that turn white after cooking) and much better flavor.

Quick questions:

1. What farms supply the So CA lakes? So far I've heard of Tim Alper's Alpers, Calaveras, Jess Ranch Ruby Reds, Nebraska Tailwalkers. What others? And who stock the browns in some of So CA lakes?

2. And what the differences between each of these in terms of appearance, fishing abilities, taste etc?

3. What's your personal favorite and why?

Thanks in advance for helping bring sense to all the mystifying varieties of trout...:LOL:

UL

[Cadillyak]

add Sierra Bows to that list, but that as far as I can go in regards to that. My fav are the ruby reds. I had a 2 1/2lb that spun me around in my tube a few times. I thought I had a DD on. LOL

[DocSpotty]

Ultralight....all of the "varieties"of trout you mention are "designer" breeds of trout. Some of have given diets that improve the flesh, etc, etc. But none of the have any relation to native wild trout.....the standard domestication and hatchery rearing of rainbows began in the late 1880's and no pure species or subspecies were usesd......the fish were mutts from the beginning.