Here is a link to this morning's Seattle Times article on some Dolly Varden in Alaska. I found it interesting. http://seattletimes.com/html/localnews/2020605591_fishgutsxml.html?cmpid=2628
I saw that too. Made me wonder to what extent ALL trout shrink their digestive tracts during periods of low/no food as a survival tactic? Sure, the Dollies in the study are an extreme example, but maybe the same thing happens on a less-dramatic scale to help our high mountain trout overwinter? Thanks for sharing, K
When I read the article, it reminded me of hearing about alpine lakes that had snake-like trout that would appear from the depths during stocking trips. Pretty amazing that salmonids are capable of this kind of lifestyle!
The "Dolly Varden Diet." Don't think its going to be all that popular. The first few weeks sounds OK, with a steady diet of caviar, but that seems counter-intuitive, since you are putting on weight. Then comes the next phase, where you snack on rotting salmon flesh. After a couple of those meals, you have lost your appetite for the next 10 and half months, and now the plan is working!
Sadly it's not just Alpine lakes that can produce snake-like fish. Most lakes that were stocked with brookies (back before we knew any better) are that way today. The brookies originally outreproduced and outcompeted the native species before outstripping the available food supply. I've seen brook trout that are 7-8 inches long with big heads and tiny, skinny bodies that can be 5-6 years old. Their stomachs aren't expanding and contracting in response to seasonal availability of a food supply. They're just small year 'round because there's so many of them that none gets enough to eat at any time of the year. K
I once heard a person say that if they could figure out how to quit lifting so much food to their mouth, they could lose weight. Seemed legit at the time.
You missed a great program at the HLs the other night by Pete Smith. He spends 10 days or so every May exploring the bench lakes above Kamloops fishing chironomids for RBs up to 31". His program documented his trips for the past 5 years. He had some shots of triploid brookies that literally looked like footballs with fins. The BC fisheries folks like the triploid brookies for some reason, although I missed exectly why. K
In the Snowy Range west of Laramie, WY many lakes are stocked with splake (brook x lake trout) and they get big. When I was living there a new state record was caught (13 lbs) in a relatively small lake with road access.
