An interesting article by Domenick Swentosky at Troutbitten.
Does a Stocked Trout Ever Become Wild? | Troutbitten
Does a Stocked Trout Ever Become Wild? | Troutbitten
He defines "wild" by the genetic makeup of "stocked" trout and it is a proven fact that stocked trout are EPIgenetically different than wild trout. We think of genetics as the DNA but the DNA of trout DOES NOT change that fast in fish raised in hatcheries. What changes is the EPIgenetics which is how the DNA is manifested in the animal. Simple put, which genes are turned on and how these turned on genes are expressed phenotypically. This can happen in a single generation when a wild trout progeny is raised in a hatchery.An interesting article by Domenick Swentosky at Troutbitten.
Does a Stocked Trout Ever Become Wild? | Troutbitten
Is there a way to tell the difference between the Loch Leven and the Black Forest "German" browns apart?White Leghorn chickens put into a natural habitat fenced to protect from predation do not, in any number of generations, turn into grouse (or any wild form of chicken). All of our American brown trout were initially stocked producing the "wild" (never native) browns we fish for so avidly today. But our two originally introduced strains from Loch Levan, Scotland and the von Buhr Black Forest "German" browns arrived here via fish culturists in the mid 1880's from essentially wild forms of S. trutta. Browns have proven less generically malleable than have rainbows, the "Entirely Synthetic Fish". The "wild" rainbows I love in say, the upper Missouri watershed are wild, stream reproducing great fish but are the product of hatchery strain fish widely stocked by Montana Fish wildlife and Parks that were selectively bred for fast growth, early sexual maturity and resultant short lifespan (compared to native strains). If one wants to catch a Native rainbow in Montana, one must fish the Kootanai R. in the north western corner of the sate with three watersheds. These Oncorhynchus look different and get bigger than any other "junk strain" stream dwelling Montana rainbows. However, when zipping into my backing making cartwheels down the river, the last thing on my mind is the domesticated gene pool of rainbow trout.
Yes, while almost all our American browns are crosses between the two strains (they can't tell one another apart themselves) we still see fish that appear "pure" plus the full variation of mixtures between them. Loch Levens have no red spots and their black spots are larger while the German fish have smaller, sometimes more numerous black spots with red spots aplenty.Is there a way to tell the difference between the Loch Leven and the Black Forest "German" browns apart?
I looked at both on the computer and the first thing I noticed is that you can't trust what it shows. But what I can see from Loch Leven and a Black Forest look the same to me.
So then, is a Loch Leven a sea run brown?Yes, while almost all our American browns are crosses between the two strains (they can't tell one another apart themselves) we still see fish that appear "pure" plus the full variation of mixtures between them. Loch Levens have no red spots and their black spots are larger while the German fish have smaller, sometimes more numerous black spots with red spots aplenty.
von Behr
View attachment 21133
Loch Leven
View attachment 21134
No. Loch Leven is a freshwater lake. (Ironically, it was stocked with rainbows for a while.)So then, is a Loch Leven a sea run brown?
They came as fertilized eggs, shipped in ice water.How did the original brown trout get to North America? I guess on a ship in a chilled tank or during a time of year it would be cold enough?
So, after the hatchery fish spawn?It may act like a wild trout but it will always be a stocked ie hatched in a hatchery trout so the answer is no .