Putah creek cutbow?

Phasesofwatersports · Member

Putah creek cutbow?

Berryessie · Senior Member

Yes, all the time. Most of the bigger PC fish have cut throat markings. Same story on the Truckee

Rossflyguy · Senior Member

It’s the hatchery fish genetics when they use to stock fish. All those fish have hatchery genetics. Steelhead genetics from the 40’s are long gone.

Phasesofwatersports · Member

I was thinking the same thing. The phenotype of this one really stood out.

Kaiteoshae · Member

A friend of mine often catches cutbows at Lees Ferry. They seem to be the result of 1978 when Arizona Fish and Game Department dumping in some 60,000 cutties in a one-off attempt to diversity the trout population. 40 years later their genes are still prevalent.

lairdbaird · Veteran Member

This is from PC? Never caught one there that looked remotely like that regardless of size.

mudhen · Senior Member

That's a Lahontan Cutthroat.

Rossflyguy · Senior Member

Here’s one I caught a few years back in the creek that had cutthroat markings. These are not Lahontan Cutthroat. Hatcheries had hybrid stock they planted all over the place.

bono · Master Fly Fishing Guide

ive caught many similar looking fish especially the larger ones in Putah, in fact I just did a couple of weeks ago. most cutbows that I’ve ever seen have a more pronounced red slash under the jaw but these fish in Putah don’t seem to have that as much.With that said years ago I used to catch small wild trout that looked like cutbows up in miller canyon with is a tributary of Putah creek below Monticello dam. FYI for those of you scrambling for your gps. It’s only a small area of that creek that held trout, not sure if they’re even there anymore. It’s a long ass hike and a bitch to get to and it’s on private property, and the landowner will have you arrested if she catches you . And lastly she probably will catch you cause she caught me! Thank god our families know one another. Lol. She’s still the owner and is still very vigilant.