Hi. I'm a freelance science writer, currently writing about the Elk River in SE BC.
I'm trying to get a feel for how common it is to catch trout (or any wild fish) with missing or shortened gill covers? It's not uncommon to catch westslope cutthroat with this deformity on the Elk, but how about other rivers in BC and around the world?
Thanks in advance for any replies.
Tina
It is stocked usually in the Fall with Pennask strain rainbow trout fry. Check the gofishbc website for stocking reports of most lakes in BC. There could also be naturally reproducing rainbows in the lake too, not sure though.
Great, thanks. This deformity is more likely in captive-bred fish--for one, they are more likely to be exposed to sub-optimal temperatures or nutrition during development. From the scientific literature it appears to be much, much rarer in wild, self-sustaining populations, but I just wanted to know what experiences anglers have "on the ground." You guys and gals probably see more wild fish in a year than most of us will see in a lifetime.
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