Cutthroat Trout : A Guide to Cutthroats
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The cutthroat trout is the original trout of the Rocky Mountains.
Unlike the brown trout, which was introduced to the United States,
cutthroat trout are originally from the western half of the United
States.
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| Picture of a Cutthroat
Trout going after a dry fly. Note the white underbelly,
scattered spots and red slashes under it's lower jaw. |
What separates
the cutthroat trout from other trout is that, today, cutthroat
trout are found primarily in remote and pristine locations.
Unlike their larger cousins, the rainbows and the browns, cutthroat
trout tend to fare poorly in highly competitive environments – especially
when predatory fish like Pike are introduced into their waters.
As such, the range of the cutthroat trout has been driven back
over the years. While cutthroat trout are still found in good numbers
on many of the rivers in Montana (such as the Yellowstone), the
best cutthroat trout fishing will usually now be found deep in
the backcountry on isolated mountain lakes and streams – requiring
lots of effort by the angler to reach.
Cutthroat trout, because they are often found in very remote areas,
do not receive lots of fly fishing pressure like their rainbow
and brown trout cousins. As such, they are generally easier to
catch. Cutthroat trout also do not get as large as rainbow and
brown trout, and also generally lack the aerial activities that
other trout display when hooked.
Cutthroat trout can be identified by the two red slashes under
and on the outside of its lower jaw. The sides of the cutthroat
trout are brownish yellow that are highlighted with black spots.
Other colorings of cutthroat trout can occur, though, due to crossbreeding
between rainbow trout and brown trout. These crossbred fish, which
occurs both in hatcheries and naturally in the wild, produce a
peculiar trout called the cut-bow trout.
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