Golden Trout?

[Ed Wahl]

I was in the Sacramento Natural Foods CO-OP the other day making a delivery, in the meat and seafood counter there were the usual Idaho Rainbow trout along with something labeled Golden Trout. They look like dyed or bleached Rainbows, does anyone know what these things are? Next time in I'll take a digi camera with me. A shot of these things piled on a platter with the Golden Trout label would make an interesting wallpaper for the computer. Ed

[DocEsox]

Technically I think they are callled Palimino Trout but they are a genetically selected fish for the lovely, "just died", pallor to their skin....they are farm raised. SOme are stocked places as a novelty trout. People messing with the natural order of the sacred trout.

Brian

[Sturmer White]

When I lived in Idaho I would Fish some ponds on a golf course near BUEL
The biggest hatchery in Idaho was just above on the hill. I think those yellow looking trout were raised in that hatchery.We caught lots of them. They are ugly. In 20 degree winters thats all still good.

[Ed Wahl]

Next time in there I'll take a photo of a real Golden. The guy behind the counter, when I was asking about these things, said"they're Golden Trout, the California state fish". The ugliest trout I've ever seen, don't know how anyone could eat 'em. They do sell out every week though.MMMMMM GOOD!

[Jeff F.]

Saw them at the Whole Foods Market a while back. Labeled as Golden Trout too. And being the instigator that I am, I "inquired" about them to the lady behind the counter. She had no freaking clue, of course.

Then to make things worse.....they had something labeled as "White Salmon". I also inquired about that. Some dude said "Yeah, it's a rare species you don't see too much in markets," or something along those lines. And it was priced like freaking Chilean Sea Bass! Total B.S. Turns out it was the run-of-the-mill farm raised Atlantic Salmon.....however, the particular pellets it was fed didn't contain the skin-dying component that turns all other farm raised salmon the color we all know.

And one more thing on those "Goldens". I believe they are actually Thunder Trout, or Lightning Trout. It's a sick genetic mistake in my opinion. Here's a link:

http://www.fishsniffer.com/dbacher/040601shadow.html

[Ed Wahl]

Here they are in all their gory, er, glory. http://i13.photobucket.com/albums/a288/edfish333/GoldenTrout.jpg

[Katz]

That's nasty!

Katz

[Ed Wahl]

here's something I copied from a Pa. fishing web site. this is pretty scary.--------------- Golden Rainbow Trout Oncorhynchus mykiss
Species overview: The golden rainbow trout is a gold-orange rainbow trout raised under artificial fish culture conditions and stocked as a novelty for angling sport. The golden rainbow was developed from one fish, a single female trout with a genetic mutation that gave her a mixed golden and normal rainbow trout coloration. She was found in the West Virginia hatchery system in 1954. Through selective breeding with regularly marked rainbow trout, an all-gold, golden rainbow trout was developed. In 1963, this fish strain was popularized as the “West Virginia Centennial Golden Trout.” Pennsylvania and other states hybridized the pure strain of West Virginia golden trout with normal rainbows and produced palomino trout, which were true genetic palominos. Palomino trout were first stocked in Pennsylvania in 1967. Since then, the genetic strain in Pennsylvania has weakened, but in recent years the hybrid was selectively bred back closer to the stronger, better-colored golden rainbow trout. Although palominos were stocked as both average-sized and large trout, today’s golden rainbow is raised only to trophy size for anglers and stocked throughout the state.

The golden rainbow trout is a different species than the golden trout (Oncorhynchus aguabonita) of some California streams. In fish hatcheries, the rainbow trout has occasionally produced other unusual genetic mutations, such as the blue rainbow trout, whose body color is sky-blue.

[OregonSalmon]

Those are some dumb looking feesh. They have an Alfred E. Newman look: "what, me worry?"

[windknot]

I've seen some of those blue rainbows at the hatchery up near Baum. Pretty frightening-looking things.

http://i9.photobucket.com/albums/a73/thinkdolive2/DSCF0074.jpg

[jblack]

Last summer I was camping and fishing near Mt Shasta with my family. My wife and I took the kids to the hatchery near the turn off to lake Sisykiou and they had a bunch of fish that looked like that. The hatchery guide said they were albino Eagle Lake Rainbows but they colored alot like that.

[Mike O]

I talked to a fish monger one time, and was told that there were few rules about how to sell fish in CA. Since there are so many common names for fish, especially ocean fish, they can call them pretty much anything that will sell..

Example..When you see Pacific Red Snapper in the market...no such fishie exists. Snappers are Atlantic Fish. We have Red Rockfish, not snapper, not Rockcod, etc.

I have seen these mutant trout labeled "lightning Trout" at the supermarket as well.

GOLDEN TROUT THEY AIN'T!

[JerryInLodi]

Those fish are so gross looking I had to wait until a time when I hadn't eaten recently to post.

[SuperFlyGuy]

disturbing.. very disturbing....

[Rob]

There is one thing I don't like about the UDWR here in Utah.
They have Albino trout that they put in the rivers for the tourist . :roll:

[Ed Wahl]

Hi Rob, where ya been? Haven't heard from you in quite some time. Ya know, if I was a tourist in Utah I'd be furious if I caught one of those mutants. Is this what John Q. Public wants in his trout streams or is this some hatchery doing a sales job on gullible local gov. officials?

[SteelieD]

Saw this picture and remembered this thread...
http://www.creekcompany.com/A-photo-galleries.php?id=51&category=1

[Ed Wahl]

Oh, my, gawd. I would be so mad if I caught such a monstrosity in what appears to be a healthy river. I think I've seen prettier spawned-out salmon. Ed

[dtp916]

What an odd looking fish!!! :lol:

Very big though. The pic of the brownie on the page is gorgeous. 8)

[SuperFlyGuy]

still makes me wanna puke. I dont know.. something odd about a yellow/ golden trout with beady eyes.... Kind of reminds me of some people at work....