08-28-2012, 08:18 PM
"Are the brooke trout, rainbows and cut throats sterile in places like the mirror lake area where it's been left more natural?"
In answer to this question, the brooke trout, cut troats and browns in all streams and lakes in the uintahs are not sterile. The rainbows might be, and might not be. Generally speaking if the lake is "way back in dere" as my grampa would've said then the rainbows are likely not sterile because they were planted a long time ago.
The new generation of rainbows are what are called triploid, making them sterile. I guess it is pretty easy to make a sterile rainbow, by altering the water temperature in the tanks at just the right moment in their development the fish cannot decide if they are officially boys or girls. That makes them sterile. Although they will still try to spawn, and produce eggs and milt like they are spawning, they are 99% of the time shooting blanks. There is a very remote chance that the 1% who make real eggs and milt will find each other, but that chance is very very small.
Hope this helps. [
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In answer to this question, the brooke trout, cut troats and browns in all streams and lakes in the uintahs are not sterile. The rainbows might be, and might not be. Generally speaking if the lake is "way back in dere" as my grampa would've said then the rainbows are likely not sterile because they were planted a long time ago.
The new generation of rainbows are what are called triploid, making them sterile. I guess it is pretty easy to make a sterile rainbow, by altering the water temperature in the tanks at just the right moment in their development the fish cannot decide if they are officially boys or girls. That makes them sterile. Although they will still try to spawn, and produce eggs and milt like they are spawning, they are 99% of the time shooting blanks. There is a very remote chance that the 1% who make real eggs and milt will find each other, but that chance is very very small.
Hope this helps. [
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