California's Heritage Trout

[Benny]

Darrin, from what I have read this seems to be what happens with the trout.

"Anadromous forms of the trout can convert to resident populations when drought events or damming of rivers blocks their access to the ocean. Conversely, resident trout populations can become anadromous if ocean access becomes available."

The rainbow\steelhead adapt or evolve to the changing conditions. Nature finds a way, this is to cool.

[rayfound]

Knowing that steelhead are rainbow are steelhead, the only difference being the presence of an anadromous gene which givees the fish a tendency to seek the ocean, I wonder if the coastal rainbow is simply the anadronous rainbow (steelhead).

Or maybe I missed something reading through all this and that's what has been said. Curious anyway.

I think you're right - and I'm not sure that its just having the instinct to seek the ocean, but also, or maybe even more importantly, the OPPORTUNITY to do so, is what makes a coastal rainbow into a "steelhead", and damming the steelies makes them just plain old bows.

[Benny]

Out of cuiriousity. How many of the HTC fish have any of you CPR?
I have intentions of CPR all the 11 Heritage Trout in California. I think that would be more of a challenge IMO...

[anacrime]

2

[Benny]

2

Hmmm...
Have you C&R a Golden Trout?
How about a Kern River rainbow?
How about a Coastal Rainbow?

I think you may have three, but I could be wrong...

[anacrime]

possibly 3 if we count coastal. i wasn't sure what the rule for that one is though

[Benny]

According the DFG the following requirements are "a native trout must be caught from its historic drainage"

Designated waters in southern California

Oso Creek
Ondo Creek
FF Creek
Condor Creek
WF39 River

Not exactly sure why these waters are the only waters included in SoCal, but this is what I found...Most if not all now have Dams, not sure about Condor though.

[anacrime]

yeah but a lot of those creeks are super low and don't even have fish anymore

[Benny]

My bad brotha, hope not to many lurkers got to view them

[anacrime]

yeah dude there's already a crap load of poachers up at oso creek.