05-01-2013, 03:08 AM
OK, one more on the subject.
RE "I love the idea of stocking some lahontans in some of our reservoirs...all for it! But, I think some of you are missing a very important point--where do we get these fish from?"
and
"Right now, the only source for those fish is from those tiny streams around Pilot Peak."
Actually, the Pilot/Pyramid fish are readily available and as I tried to explain to N-A-P, they are in no immediate danger of extinction. The National fish hatchery stocks 300,000-400,000 fish annually to multiple lakes. 780,000 have been put into Pyramid lake alone the past few years. The lakes they stock also are monitored for genetic purity and Pyramid lake hasn't had available natural reproduction since the late 30's, due to a river diversion. The below link explains a great deal more and is quite interesting.
http://www.fws.gov/lahontannfhc/index.html
There is however a reason why these fish may not be suited to be stocked in Strawberry and elsewhere. (besides the reasons that have already been hashed over). Pyramid lake is highly alkaline and the fish are adapted to alkaline water. They may do quite poorly in neutral PH or a slightly acidic water. For that reason alone, they may not survive or they may struggle even compared to our more mundane varieties in our lakes. That said, if we had a very alkaline lake that was not hospitable to other strains, Lahontans may just fit the bill nicely, and who knows, we might get them. I don't know of any such highly alkaline lakes, but there may be one out there.
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RE "I love the idea of stocking some lahontans in some of our reservoirs...all for it! But, I think some of you are missing a very important point--where do we get these fish from?"
and
"Right now, the only source for those fish is from those tiny streams around Pilot Peak."
Actually, the Pilot/Pyramid fish are readily available and as I tried to explain to N-A-P, they are in no immediate danger of extinction. The National fish hatchery stocks 300,000-400,000 fish annually to multiple lakes. 780,000 have been put into Pyramid lake alone the past few years. The lakes they stock also are monitored for genetic purity and Pyramid lake hasn't had available natural reproduction since the late 30's, due to a river diversion. The below link explains a great deal more and is quite interesting.
http://www.fws.gov/lahontannfhc/index.html
There is however a reason why these fish may not be suited to be stocked in Strawberry and elsewhere. (besides the reasons that have already been hashed over). Pyramid lake is highly alkaline and the fish are adapted to alkaline water. They may do quite poorly in neutral PH or a slightly acidic water. For that reason alone, they may not survive or they may struggle even compared to our more mundane varieties in our lakes. That said, if we had a very alkaline lake that was not hospitable to other strains, Lahontans may just fit the bill nicely, and who knows, we might get them. I don't know of any such highly alkaline lakes, but there may be one out there.
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