Caddis
wanna be fly fisher.
Oncorhynchus mykiss (Walbaum) Rainbow Trout
Oncorhynchus=hooked snout
mykiss=vernacular name in Kamchatka
The native distribution of Rainbow Trout in North America includes coastal and interior areas west of the Continental Divide, extending south from Alaska to northern Mexico. The popularity of Rainbow Trout as a sport fish has made it a globally translocated species, with successful introductions in New Zealand, Australia, Japan, Europe, Africa and South America (McCrimmon 1971).
Many Rainbow Trout populations have been translocated (the introduction of native species into waters they did not originally inhabit) through efforts aimed at improving angling opportunities, and it is presently difficult to differentiate the native, wild varieties from domesticated strains.
Rainbow Trout are highly variable in life history characteristics and appearance, with up to 16 different historic subspecies being designated throughout the species range. Modern taxonomists loosely agree that there are three potential subspecies of Rainbow Trout in British Columbia. These are: Columbia River Redband Trout (Oncorhyncus mykiss gairdneri), coastal resident Rainbow Trout, including the anadromous Steelhead Trout (Oncorhyncus mykiss irideus), and the Athabascan Rainbow Trout (Oncorhyncus mykiss subsp.) of the Mackenzie drainage (Taylor and Haas 1996).
Rainbow Trout are a common species throughout the Columbia Basin, and this species displays a bewildering array of life history and phenotypic variability within the region. The large Gerrard Rainbow Trout (up to 15 kg) from Kootenay Lake and the "yellow fin" Rainbow Trout of the Arrow lakes are unique in terms of their large trophy size and distinct colouration. The steep headwater drainages of the Selkirk Mountains contain mature, dwarf varieties of Rainbow Trout that maintain juvenile characteristics throughout life.
Inland representatives of Rainbow Trout are characteristically a stream and lake fish. Spawning occurs in both inlets and outlets of lakes and small streams with fine, clean gravel during early spring when the water reaches 10-15.5° C (Scott and Crossman 1973). Females dig a redd in riffles above a pool by turning on their sides and thrashing their tails to create a depression of about body length. During the construction of the redd the female may be accompanied by many aggressive males -- usually the largest of the males is dominant and most active in courtship. After the eggs are fertilized, the female covers the nest with gravel and the eggs hatch four to seven weeks later.
Rainbow Trout are often difficult to differentiate from the closely related Cutthroat Trout, and the species often hybridize in areas where their distributions overlap. The upper jaw length of Rainbow Trout never extends past the hind margin of the eye, nor do they exhibit the diagnostic red or orange slash under the chin that is typical of Cutthroat Trout.
