Quick Question!

[Guest Sneaky]

I dont post much on this forum, bit of a lurker, every now and then i weigh in. But something came up today and would like to hear others opinions.

 

I fish the bow quite a bit, and have caught a few cuttbows, but most do have faint slashes. This fish however does not, and I'm having a complete door knob telling me its not a cuttbow because it doesnt have a slash, and the spotting is not the way to tell. As far as I'm concerned, this fish is not the average bow river rainbow. Am i not the only one that sees a hybrid here?

 

 

Looking forward to hearing your opinions!

 

Sneaky.

[scel]

I would say 'yes'. The spotting is a much higher density near the tail (a cutthroat trait). The mouth extends beyond the eye (another cutthroat trait). The last way to tell (but not from this picture) is presence of teeth on the tongue, which are absent in pure rainbows.

[Taco]

My opinion only, generic bow river cuttbow, lack of slash doesn't mean much when dealing with hybrids. Hell no one knows the true genetic makeup of the Bow River "rainbows"

[scel]

My opinion only, generic bow river cuttbow, lack of slash doesn't mean much when dealing with hybrids. Hell no one knows the true genetic makeup of the Bow River "rainbows"

 

Exactly. The genetic expression of the slash could have been selectively eliminated.

For most taxonomists, hybridism is a sum of the traits, not the exclusion of a particular trait.

 

If you look at dogs, if one lets them interbreed long enough, there is a remarkable consistency in the 'mutt'. Taco is right: nobody knows what a Bow River cutbow actually *is*.

 

I think you should call that fish a Bow River Muttbow.

[jasonvilly]

No matter what it is....

 

That is an excellent fish!!!!

 

I dont think with out a true DNA sampling could you find a definitive answer. Some will see it, others won't.

[Pipestoneflyguy]

Thats a nice looking slab there,

 

I would agree that "the water is muddy" in terms of genetic traits in multi-species water.

 

The only way to tell for sure is genetic sample DNA testing.

[Muffin]

Interesting read. Isn't the pink around the gill plates more typical of a cut throat or can that also be so colorful on a rainbow?

[bcubed]

Sure there's some cutty in that fish, but there is pretty well guarenteed some rainbow genetics. This time of year, all of them are dressed up for the big dance. Perty fish either way

 

I'd be reluctant to call that a 'generic' bow river cutbow..that thing makes most of the bow river rainbow/cuttys/cutbows/cuttybrownbows look pretty bland

[RedBeard]

I think you should call that fish a Bow River Muttbow.

Hahaha excellent name!

[bjbailey]

I see the cutthroat in the fish for sure... Definitely some anyways...

[Hawgstoppah]

I have caught cutts in places where the strain is 100% pure, that do NOT have slashes every now and then, so I'd say your fish certainly does exhibit classic cutthroat spotting giving it a really good chance of having cutt genetics in there somewhere.