California Golden Trout, Oncorhynchus mykiss aguabonita

[invisyblegypsey]

Not hybrids. Natural subspecies. The San Diego Sea World has a nice tank full of the suckers. It was awesome to watch these guys and they are beautiful in the tank. Will post a pic when I can get some bandwidth to work with.

ah ok i usde to catch them alot where i was raised in utah.
them and cutthroat trout and german browns
here is a cool link
http://www.coloradotrouthunters.com/troutidentification.html

 

[sterling_mcdaniel]

ah ok i usde to catch them alot where i was raised in utah.
them and cutthroat trout and german browns
here is a cool link
http://www.coloradotrouthunters.com/troutidentification.html

those are a type of rainbow trout not a true California golden trout.

 

[jmartra]

beautiful trout!

 

[Scatocephalus]

There is a lake called Saddlebag that I go to every year. If you hike or ferry across the lake there are a lot of other small lakes back there that you can actually catch 5 different species of trout, however all of the Goldens are catch and release only. Have you ever considered a Brook Trout?

Brookies are gorgeous, no doubt about it.

Not as small as golden trout but certainly worthy of consideration in any native tank.

I saw someone mention Grayling in the thread, and yes, they'd be awesome to keep!!

That's some damn cold water though!!

How about Dolly Varden, Salvelinus malma?

 

[blacktip]

So nice. I am planning a fishing trip to the High Sierra's soon and hope to come across these guys.

In addition, last summer I went River Rafting in the Kern River and it looks as the "Golden Trout" can be found up the river. I booked to return this summer so now at least I know to bring a fishing pole =-)

Here's another good read.

http://bss.sfsu.edu/holzman/courses/spring 05 projects/g. trout/golden trout final website.htm

You went to the Kern River without a fishing pole?!?!? That should be a crime. Some of the best trout fishing you will find in So Cal. I used to go there all the time with my buddies when I was stationed at Edwards AFB. Had some 70 - 100 fish days and 20 - 30 fish a day was normal. Thanks to their trophy trout stocking program I managed to catch at least a half dozen trout from 3 - 6 pounds in one summer about 4 or 5 years ago. Kids keep me too busy to go up there all the time now, but I try to get up there at least once a year with the kids. They love it.

And for Scat, goldens can get much larger than 10" given the right conditions. A buddy of mine and I found a chain of small lakes about 13,000 ft in altitude in the high sierras that were rumored to have larger goldens up to 18". We found it hard to believe but made it up to the lakes on a weekend trip and managed to catch 3 from 13" - 15" in the couple of hours that we were there before I was overcome with altitude sickness.

 

[Modest_Man]

Those are some ugly Dolly Varden photos. I've actually caught all the fish mentioned in this thread except the golden. The Dolly Varden/bull trout I've caught in small streams in Washington here are much better looking. Can't top a wild stream brook trout for looks though!

I will have a cold water trout tank one day.

 

[Scatocephalus]

Those are some ugly Dolly Varden photos. I've actually caught all the fish mentioned in this thread except the golden. The Dolly Varden/bull trout I've caught in small streams in Washington here are much better looking. Can't top a wild stream brook trout for looks though!

They were the best pics I could lift off the net. If you have some better ones, post them up. I'd love to see them!!

 

[andyjs]

you can probbley git some from a hatchery i belive they are hybreds

I think, like someone else mentioned you're thinking of another "golden trout" which is just a color variation of normal O. mykiss. I believe they are albinos (usually with pigmented eyes though). They are somewhat common in hatcheries. They however get to the normal large size of standard rainbows

 

[seds]

Dolly varden isn't the same as bull trout. Bull trout have been called Dolly varden but they are distinct species. Salvelinus confluentus is bull trout. No black put it back!



Eh I had the dream of keeping trout and I think I might (eventually) start with hatchery raised rainbow trout. It couldn't be too hard to find where they get them from for the grocery store.

 

[Modest_Man]

They were the best pics I could lift off the net. If you have some better ones, post them up. I'd love to see them!!

I wish I did but I don't take my camera backpacking and the only time I've caught them have been in some small rivers flowing out of the upper Cascades. I think the ones you have posted are the sea run variety.

I'm well aware that Dolly Varden and bull trout are two distinct species, but where I live here in Western Washington we have both with overlapping distributions. As they're a threatened fish, I try to release them as quickly and painlessly as possible so I've not taken the time 100% identify which I've caught.

Once the rivers open up in a couple months I'll see about getting some photos. I know a nice pool that's just a day hike in on some old logging roads.