Interesting. I think it’s ironic to call a native cutthroat from the snake river basin a name that is derived from a different river system. I’m friends with the guy who was fishing with Cyndle that day and they think it’s pretty silly too. But we’re not scientists or anything, so let IDFG call it what they like.
I think you’ll find that many strains of Cutthroat were named before the genetic testing existed that could allow certainty of what fish existed in what drainages… both historically and since the deluge of genetic pollution by indiscriminate planting of trout throughout the world. The Yellowstone Cutthroat Trout are indeed endemic to the Yellowstone Watershed, but populations of pure Yellowstone have been identified in numerous surrounding waters as well.
As a fisheries biologist, I was fascinated by this idea even as a kid. Westslope Cutthroat, which are native where I grew up, should be found on the Western Slopes of the Rocky Mountains, right? But there are numerous populations found across the continental divide in waters flowing to the East… headwaters of the Missouri River. Some are even found in the Yakima River on the opposite side of the Columbia River and as far downstream as the headwaters of the John Day River… How they survived the glacial forces that created the landscapes and managed to keep a foothold during humans massacre of endemic trout, we may never know, but it’s fascinating to find with genetic certainty, that they are indeed PURE Westslope Cutthroat.
Keep fishing and keep loving our wildlands
Di Braun
It should be noted that’s a Snake River cutthroat… out of the Snake River system! Awesome fish.
Alyssa, IDFG does not distinguish a difference between YCT and SRC, so all cutthroat in the ID Snake River Basin are YCT.
Interesting. I think it’s ironic to call a native cutthroat from the snake river basin a name that is derived from a different river system. I’m friends with the guy who was fishing with Cyndle that day and they think it’s pretty silly too. But we’re not scientists or anything, so let IDFG call it what they like.
I think you’ll find that many strains of Cutthroat were named before the genetic testing existed that could allow certainty of what fish existed in what drainages… both historically and since the deluge of genetic pollution by indiscriminate planting of trout throughout the world. The Yellowstone Cutthroat Trout are indeed endemic to the Yellowstone Watershed, but populations of pure Yellowstone have been identified in numerous surrounding waters as well.
As a fisheries biologist, I was fascinated by this idea even as a kid. Westslope Cutthroat, which are native where I grew up, should be found on the Western Slopes of the Rocky Mountains, right? But there are numerous populations found across the continental divide in waters flowing to the East… headwaters of the Missouri River. Some are even found in the Yakima River on the opposite side of the Columbia River and as far downstream as the headwaters of the John Day River… How they survived the glacial forces that created the landscapes and managed to keep a foothold during humans massacre of endemic trout, we may never know, but it’s fascinating to find with genetic certainty, that they are indeed PURE Westslope Cutthroat.
Keep fishing and keep loving our wildlands
Di Braun