MotoBoat
12/13/2011 11:59:00 AMThat big brown in the back is a bit funky looking. Old fish or wounded at one point during it's life?
julbright
12/13/2011 12:29:00 PMFrom what I could tell, it was an older fish. No scarring or deformities, just a huge head and a small body. Lighter colored meat, at least when compared with the younger ones. Based on head size, you'd think it would be longer and more robust. Eh, it was still good eating :)
natetreat
12/13/2011 8:05:00 PMThat happens when the fish get stunted because of over population or lack of food. It's very common in the alpine lakes here on the west side for trout to get that gnarly look to 'em. Although it is strange that those other fish aren't showing the signs at all but he is. He's definitely old though and should be much bigger than that.
Kokaholic
12/13/2011 10:49:00 PMLack of food on the big Brown. Seen it before in northern & dry area lakes head grows normal. Which the body doesn't get enough food to keep up with the head. Based on the picture that brown should be 6-8lb if it was able to grow as normal. My friend with Oregon F& W states also due to a birth it could have formed a problem because it din't have enough food to live off as a egg/fry. Anyway Still nice trip out any day. Great Job!!
rwl
12/14/2011 6:46:00 AMIt seems like there are two distinct types of brown trout at Rock lake. The majority are a smaller silvery colored with the small head, then there are the golden colored that sometimes have a hooked jaw and are often larger and thicker bodied. Doesn't seem to be seasonal and the golden colored ones are both males and females. Do they plant more than one strain of brown trout in Rock Lake?
ericksg
12/14/2011 7:52:00 AMive seen that in the alpine lakes too, but the fish dont get that big, usually 8" is all they grow to. I've seen bigger rainbows like that, but they had just spawned and hadn't put there weight back after laying all those eggs. the browns were just in the spawn, like the kokanee, the rainbows should be next i think, later this winter, around the time of the superbowl. but i do think the rainbows fatten up easier at rock, feeding on krill. the browns are more predatory.
MotoBoat
12/14/2011 12:45:00 PMUnless hooked there. The small diameter area behind the belly is very red. Like a wound or something. Almost atrifee(spelling?) in appearance.
ericksg
12/14/2011 2:40:00 PMgotta agree with motoboat after a second look. an old injury? or birth defect? what did it look like on the inside? was the abdominal cavity normal sized?
julbright
12/14/2011 9:33:00 PMMotoBoat/ericksg --- the red color was blood from another fish that I failed to rise off all the way. The abdominal cavity was in the same, proportionally, to the rest of the body.
Anglinarcher
12/15/2011 7:54:00 PMLOL - no lack of food in Rock. Some browns and most rainbows key into open water plankton. These fish have red flesh. Some browns key on fish only in open water. There is not a lot of baitfish in open water. These are white fleshed.
The color phase depends on the depth the fish is using- more sun means more color.
ore
The color phase depends on the depth the fish is using- more sun means more color.
ore