Oregon Cutthroat

[Blueracer]

Hi Guys,

Last Sunday I got this cut (about 26 river miles up) while searching for steelhead. I've never gotten one this far up river before and was wondering how far others have found them up river before. What's the furthest up you've found them? Notice its injury behind its left cheek. It definetely had a narrow escape from some predator.

https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-EnTTQAYRH9Y/UsdgmWa2ZII/AAAAAAAADhU/VbC7cvjdu5Q/w547-h625-no/Searun+Cut+.jpg

https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-YrykXRzTxEs/UsdgoFMExGI/AAAAAAAADhc/oyoIaevpcvs/w833-h625-no/SeaRunCut26milesup.JPG

https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-KQnelh1DY5Q/Usdgow--MbI/AAAAAAAADhk/3gpU8_LYPVo/w469-h625-no/Searun+Cut+1.jpg

[Dan LeCount]

Ive caught quite a few coastal cutties in the Rogue near Shady Cove and the North Umpqua above Steamboat. That's a pretty long haul from the ocean. I'd think that anywhere a steelhead could go, a sea run cutt could theoretically go.

[Langenbeck]

http://www.dfw.state.or.us/fish/onfsr/docs/final/09-cutthroat-trout/ct-methods-coast.pdf
An excellent source on cutthroat trout in Oregon. As you can read even though there is access to the ocean does not mean that all go to sea. My guess is the cutthroats bear Shady Cove on the Rogue are non-anadromous.

[Blueracer]

Oh yeah I have gotten one on the NU I forgot about. It was close to dark and came off at my feet and shook free but I think it was a cut and not a small steelhead. Thanks for the reminder Dan. And thanks for the link Gordon!

[Dan LeCount]

http://www.dfw.state.or.us/fish/onfsr/docs/final/09-cutthroat-trout/ct-methods-coast.pdf
An excellent source on cutthroat trout in Oregon. As you can read even though there is access to the ocean does not mean that all go to sea. My guess is the cutthroats bear Shady Cove on the Rogue are non-anadromous.


Yea, I wasnt saying that all cutthroat in Oregon were sea run. Just that if the river connected to the ocean without a significant enough barrier, that sea runs could potentially migrate through.


quote from that report
"Anadromous cutthroat trout are thought to be present in all Oregon coastal streams that lack an upstream barrier to fish passage near the ocean entrance point" (Hooton 1997).

With only using visual cues, it can be hard for an angler to tell the difference between anadromous, fluvial/adfluvial and resident, but I caught fish that looked like sea runs up near Shady Cove, but you'd have to ask a fisheries biologist there to know for sure.

[hwchubb]

I caught several two years ago on the Applegate while chasing steel, would guess in February. They were pretty, all 14-16", and a bit snaky. A buddy who is a rod builder and has lived there for longer than he'll want me to admit is convinced they're SRC's that are following the salmon and steelhead - who am I to argue?

[Bill Kiene semi-retired]

I would like to go after them some time.

My old friend Bob Borden, founder and owner of Hareline Dubbing, it supposed to be very knowledgeable about fly fishing for SRC in OR.

I think I will check with him with him for some good advice some day.

.

[Ben J]

Don't forget that we have some substantial populations of sea run cutts in nor cal as well. Definitely my favorite fish to chase when winter steelhead is not happening, like now.

[Jed Peters]

PURRRRRTTTYYYYYY FEEEEEEEESSSSHHHHH

http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e38/jedpeters/DSC_0148_zps53395638.jpg (http://s36.photobucket.com/user/jedpeters/media/DSC_0148_zps53395638.jpg.html)

[Blueracer]

I took a quick photo with the handheld but I should of got a shot under the gills too...next time. Below are a few interesting comments two guys made from a different forum. Interesting point made about the mandible.

Looks like a coastal cutt to me... the injuries, with the marks on top of it's head look like a commercial fishing net injury. Either way, tough and good looking fish.

I'd call that a coastal cutt as well. One way I've used to tell them apart is that cutthroat tend to have a jaw(mandible) that extends behind their eye, while on a rainbow the jaw will not extend beyond the eye.

[Bill Kiene semi-retired]

PURRRRRTTTYYYYYY FEEEEEEEESSSSHHHHH

http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e38/jedpeters/DSC_0148_zps53395638.jpg (http://s36.photobucket.com/user/jedpeters/media/DSC_0148_zps53395638.jpg.html)

Great Jed....that is a really special fish and a really special photo of it too. Thanks......