Odd Looking Rainbows

[cdock]

Last night I visited a small stream and caught a ton of rainbows. I posted my story in the other streams thread. A couple of the fish I caught looked a bit strange. I did take pictures unfortuneately my camera fell in the water. Hopefully my card is ok after it dries out, camera is toast. If it's ok I'll post the pics. Anyway, I saw one dead fish in a very slow stagnant section. The water was quite warm. Will trout die if the water is too warm? Lack of oxygen? Secondly one of the rainbows had a red eye. Completely red. It looked like someone punched him and all the blood vessels popped. What could this be from? Any ideas? And lastly another rainbow had a large red growth on his lower jaw. It looked like a little bubble of blood. Again what would cause this? All the fish seemed spunky and healthy as they fought well, jumped, and were released very quickly with a ton of energy. These things don't appear to be affecting their live. Except the dead one. He's dead.

[monger]

Warm water holds less oxygen. Temps around 26-27C are very stressful for trout as they have a hard time getting enough oxygen from the water. As stress increases, the immune system has a harder time fighting pathogens. High temp, bacteria and viruses become big factors in the warm weather.

[fisher26]

Sounds a lot like whirling disease if it is that’s BAD! WD reduced rainbow populations on the Madison by 90% and has devastated American trout fisheries; hardly any Albertans know anything about it, which is stupid because it is the biggest threat to our fisheries (unless you only like fishing for browns which are immune)

 

Once it's brought to a water body it's there for ever so I really hope that you didn’t spot it... Post pics and I might be able to tell you.

 

By the way it’s transported by fishermen from infected body’s of water going to uninfected. It is amazingly hardy (can live in dried mud for 30+ years) and felt is an ideal transporter.

 

Where the spines a warped on the fish you caught, if so that is definitely WD.

[Harps]

If a fish gets hooked wrong, the point can enter the eye from the back and it fills with blood. I have seen it, especially from those big hook sets. That could also explain the death... mis-handling in this heat to get the beloved hook out.

Like monger said, low O2 and high temps... alot of stressed fish will not survive handling and there will be more injuries that cause the fish problems.

[cdock]

Where the spines a warped on the fish you caught, if so that is definitely WD.

 

No the spines were fine. They looked normal other than those couple of things. Well one had a bite out of his tail but I'm sure that's not WD. I should also mention the rest of the fish looked beautiful and very healthy. Really nice colour and shine and not even a little blemish anywhere. I don't suspect WD, I suspect what Harps and Monger mentioned now that I think about. Heat, mistreated, and deep hooksets. At least I hope, not that those are good but much better than WD.

[steelhead]

Because barbless hooks dont stay imbedded in the flesh, and work themselves in and out while fighting a fish, the hook could have very easily travelled up and into the eye socket, and many other vital areas around the head, including nerve endings. This may cause the fish to be somewhat paralyzed in certain areas and make it swim erratically. Especially noted in trout as they are heavy fighters.

 

 

There was someone fishing the hole before you and beat up on the weaker fish.

 

 

Steelhead

[Harps]

Because barbless hooks dont stay imbedded in the flesh, and work themselves in and out while fighting a fish, the hook could have very easily travelled up and into the eye socket, and many other vital areas around the head, including nerve endings. This may cause the fish to be somewhat paralyzed in certain areas and make it swim erratically. Especially noted in trout as they are heavy fighters.

There was someone fishing the hole before you and beat up on the weaker fish.

Steelhead

 

I can't see a loose hook re-embeding itself deeper in a vital location. Keeping pressure on the fish will keep the hook in one place... and the small nub of a pinched barb. I don't think barbless is to blame... in fact, its generally accepted that barbed hooks cause more tissue damage, due to the barb.

[rhuseby]

Mostly likely hook damage alright. To this point (everyone cross your fingers) whirling disease hasn't surfaced in Alberta. If you head down to the states, really clean your gear off well on your return. If you're wealthier than me, maybe a pair of waders just for use down there wouldn't be a bad idea.