# Rainbow trout at Strawberry



## jsumm_2000 (Sep 18, 2008)

I came across an article in the Idaho fishing guide. Here it is.
"Native Yellowstone cutthroat trout are highly
valued by South Fork anglers for their aggressive
nature and fast growth. Non-native rainbow
trout not only compete with Yellowstone
cutthroat trout, but they also interbreed with
them, producing hybrids. Hybridization is a
serious threat to the native cutthroat trout fishery.
IDFG is attempting to minimize the level of
hybridization in the South Fork by encouraging
anglers to harvest rainbow trout, and by using
traps to prevent rainbows from spawning in
important cutthroat trout spawning tributaries.
With your support, these efforts will help insure
this healthy Yellowstone cutthroat population and
unique angling opportunity will be around for
generations to come…so enjoy a shore lunch,
or take some South Fork rainbow trout home for
dinner – you’ll be doing the fishery a favor!"
Hybrid description: Cutthroat/rainbow trout

The question the comes to mind, why does Strawberry introduce a preditor fish like the Rainbow when Idaho encourages people to harvest all rainbows including hybrids to preserve the Cutthroat Trout? Is it the difference is species or a management issue. Does anyone know! If Hybridization is a problem then maybe we need to have sterile fish like tigers instead of rainbows. Any thoughts on the idea?


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## americanforkdude (Sep 13, 2007)

maybe it's to get the people to shut up and stop whining about going to strawberry and not being able to take fish home... i don't know??? Good question. Aren't the Cuts in strawberry the boneville cutt?


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## americanforkdude (Sep 13, 2007)

Don't they say they plant sterile rainbows but in reality not 100% of them are sterile. I thought a small number of them can still reproduce??? Am i wrong?


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## flyguy7 (Sep 16, 2007)

So anglers have a chance to catch a fish that actually fights at strawberry.


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## Nor-tah (Dec 16, 2007)

Yellowstone cutts have a harder time competing with other fish than the bear lake strain of the boniville cutts found at strawberry. Plus the berry has so much food in it that we could use a few extra predators.


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## Flyfishn247 (Oct 2, 2007)

> So anglers have a chance to catch a fish that actually fights at strawberry.


+1 :lol: My thoughts exactly.


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## Chaser (Sep 28, 2007)

Yeah, the Cutts in Strawberry are Bonneville Cutts. The rainbows that are planted are genetic triploids, which roughly means they have an extra set of DNA in their genetic code, rendering them sterile. Nature has a funny way of having some exceptions though, so I would guess somewhere along the line, one of them could breed, but the likelihood is slim, at best. The planted rainbows are there to sustain the put-and-take part of the fishery.


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## Packfish (Oct 30, 2007)

It's a river not a lake- it's a natural fish in that eco system VS a non natural.
Now if the rainbows win out the Feds will probably step in and say guess what guys no more fishing until the cutts are back in numbers- the state would no longer have control and the Feds would= Bad deal for everyone that's a sportsman. You can not compare Strwberry and it's management as a trophy/family fishery and the South Fork of the Snake--------- 2 totally different systems and management.


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