Truckee River Cutthroat Caught between Prosser and Boca

[TyV]

I only grabbed a few screen shots from a short video I took. I know they were planting in some of the lakes. Size was maybe 12-13" give or take. Can only see small bits of the cutts under gill plate in the first two pics. Look at the belly spots on the second. Plus a full side view in third photo. Sorry I couldn't get a better shot of the cutts.

Anyone else catch these in California side upper river? Damn wash through??? Surprised and not sure what to make of it.

Heading out of town for a day or two in the morning. Curious what anyone else might know or have found out there when I get back.

Fish On
Ty

[cdevine]

Funny you should mention this. I've caught a few in that same stretch but they were more like 10 inches. That guy looks a little better size. I've heard of others as well in the upper area. I vaguely recall somebody mentioning there was a plant around the campgrounds off 89 last year. I can't confirm that however. I know the browns aren't complaining....

[Morgan]

YOu can tell its a cut just by the body spotting on this fish. I have a buddy I work with caught one around 18" that was colored up and in the creek as well. These guys just need to spawn with the bows to produce more of those big fat cutbows that were so prevalent down low before the drought. THose were some bad ass fish!

[Idadon]

Henrys lake has hybrids (Cutt/Bows) up into the teens. You definitely know when you get ahold of one! Down on the South Fork of the Snake Fish & Game is doing everything they can do to stop the Cutties from interbreeding. Always had mixed emotions on the subject.

[Reese]

Fish and Wildlife and their partners have been actively planting the Pilot Peak LCT strain throughout the Truckee system for at least a few years now. According to the biologists over at Lahontan National Fish Hatchery Complex, they have been planting fish up to 16 inches in the hopes of establishing a river-form population of the Pilot Peak LCT. If the LCTs get past 20" they will start competing with the browns as primarily piscivorous predators. I'm not sure the exact plant locations but I'm sure by now, they are fairly well distributed throughout the system. By the look of that picture, that is probably a two year old cutt-bow. As they start planting more and spawning success increases, we'll probably see a significant uptick in the amount of LCTs caught in the Truckee. Looking forward to seeing a 30 lb fish swim by on the spawn!!

[Ned Morris]

How will a fluvial LCT attain 30lb. sizes when Brown Trout are well established and with limited biomass? No ability to migrate between Pyramid and Tahoe and barely any suitable spawning habitat. Even if impoundments were removed on Truckee how would they fare with Lake Trout? Sorry to bring you all down, but you have to be realistic. Fish thrive in Pyramid because there is little non-native Salmonid competition and substantial artificial propagation. Lots would have to happen in our lifetime. As I have been told before, it's a great step in right direction but it will never get back to pre 1880's. =Reese;177219]Fish and Wildlife and their partners have been actively planting the Pilot Peak LCT strain throughout the Truckee system for at least a few years now. According to the biologists over at Lahontan National Fish Hatchery Complex, they have been planting fish up to 16 inches in the hopes of establishing a river-form population of the Pilot Peak LCT. If the LCTs get past 20" they will start competing with the browns as primarily piscivorous predators. I'm not sure the exact plant locations but I'm sure by now, they are fairly well distributed throughout the system. By the look of that picture, that is probably a two year old cutt-bow. As they start planting more and spawning success increases, we'll probably see a significant uptick in the amount of LCTs caught in the Truckee. Looking forward to seeing a 30 lb fish swim by on the spawn!![/QUOTE]

[bigfly]

Since cuts and rainbows hybridize readily, all you have as an out come of stocking cuts, is Cutbows.
And a put and take fishery for folks who like easy fishing...instead of a river that fishes well when you raise your game.
I think it's romantic fish thinking, not a viable plan.....Remove the dams and I'll be more inclined to try and reset the clock...
But you would still need to nuke the river to get rid of the bows.....and what about the Tahoe fish that will slip through the dam?
And of course the NV. stocked fish too.....makes zero practical sense....so...I'm sure it will continue.

Jim

[Rossflyguy]

Wow....talk about some Debbie downers. Nevada stocks LCT in the truckee. I've caught 8'' LCT on the Nevada side. I believe theyre going to stop stocking bows. Those LCTs will feast on rainbows. And as far a competing with other salmonoids, the large LCT compete with each other. They grow quicker than bows or browns. It's about who grows the fastest. That's who becomes the king of the river.

[bigfly]

I realize that reality isn't always perfect......
As I've mentioned before, reality sets in when you go to Idaho and see how hard they work to keep cutthroat from hybridizing with bows on the Snake river. They have dumpsters at the ramp to throw away any rainbows you might catch....
Personally I prefer to fish for challenging big bows and browns, to catching the less than challenging cuts.
Without being able to make a run to lakes above and below they will likely not reach large lake size. Their life cycle does require lots of forage fish like Cui ui and Tui chubs which are not around in numbers enough in the river. They evolved to run up and down the river to lakes....which isn't an option now.

Jim

[cdevine]

I really like the way the Truckee is these days. The fish count per mile isn't what some streams have but where else can you consistently get a chance at a 24+ inch brown in the west? It's super challenging and that keeps many of us coming back and some not going.
I just don't see the river LCT thriving like they do on Pyramid. Totally different environment. Like jim said the river doesn't have the bait fish population to make them thrive. I take my son down into Nevada side to learn and it's fun hooking them when you are new. But look at the fish surveys ndow does and those fish aren't put and take. They don't fare well.