What kind of trout is this???

[SkinnyLynnie]

I went ice fishing on Deer Creek on Saturday and caught a nice, 20" trout.  At first, I thought it was a brown. It had the spots, but it wasn't yellowish or brownish enough (and the spots were missing any red). Also, it was much lighter than the rainbow I got at the same spot.  It looked a bit like a cut throat, but I don't think there are cut throats in Deer creek, plus this fish was missing the characteristic red-orange markings. A fellow fisherman said that it might be a cross between a rainbow and a brown.  I looked up that possibility and learned that there are such things as "brownbows" but they are usually produced in hatcheries, not in the wild.  What do my BFT colleagues say?  Photos attached.  

[2knots]

Top 2 browns, bottom bow. There are a couple different browns, I believe the Lock Leven browns are the ones without  the orange

The more silver forms can be mistaken for rainbow trout. Regional variants include the so-called "Loch Leven" trout, distinguished by larger fins, a slimmer body, and heavy black spotting, but lacking red spots. The continental European strain features a lighter golden cast with some red spotting and fewer dark spots. Notably, both strains can show considerable individual variation from this general description.

[SkinnyLynnie]

The bottom photo is of the rainbow. I just put it in for contrast. The top two are the same fish. So is it a Lock Lomand brown trout? How did it get into Deer Creek? Do they stock them, or are they native, wild in Deer Creek? Thanks for your help!

[2knots]

The bottom photo is of the rainbow.  I just put it in for contrast.  The top two are the same fish.  So is it a Lock Lomand brown trout?  How did it get into Deer Creek?  Do they stock them, or are they native, wild in Deer Creek?  Thanks for your help!

Not sure how they got in there, Tubedude has probably got a better idea then me venturing a guess

[Jig-fisher]

Just a regular brown trout.  A lot of browns in lakes are not as heavily spotted and definitely less colorful. Nice catch! Deer creek, Jordanelle, Echo and Rockport all have quite a few browns in them.

[wiperhunter2]

Wow Lynnie, you still have your BFT hat and patch, way to go, not many of those still around. I agree with 2knots 100% brown, I've caught many just like that one.

[SkinnyLynnie]

Thanks for all the informative replies!  I suspect that the different coloration may have something to do with lake water and what the fish eat there (as opposed to flowing river water).  Does that make sense?

[TubeDude]

Same strain of brown that has always been in Deer Creek.  I have been catching them since the 1960s.  The only time you see any change of color is when they run up the Provo in the fall.  Otherwise, they...like most browns that live full time in a lake...are mostly light colored with dark spots.  No red ones as in some species. 

Here are some pics from the past.  The first is one I caught from my tube in late November one year...likely after it just returned from spawning in the Provo.  The other two are of large fish caught from boats in the last few years.  There are still some bigguns in that lake.

   

[SkinnyLynnie]

Thanks for the helpful information. Unfortunately, after seeing your pictures of the big browns you caught at Deer Creek, my 20-incher does not seem so big to me after all. That's OK. It just gives me motivation to keep on fishing.

[TubeDude]

Thanks for the helpful information.  Unfortunately, after seeing your pictures of the big browns you caught at Deer Creek, my 20-incher does not seem so big to me after all. That's OK. It just gives me motivation to keep on fishing.

Sorry.  Wasn't trying to steal your thunder...or make you feel bad.  And although I have caught some decent browns out of Deer Creek over the years, the pics of the two bigguns are someone else...not me.  A 20" brown is a nice fish and it's okay to be proud of it.

[Therapist]

Fishing for big Browns seems to have diminished over the past few decades. Back in the 60's and 70's that ws the big thing. Flaming Gorge, Deer Creek, and Starvation were the spots that trollers targeted them. There were also several 8+ caught on the lower Provo, below Deer Creek. I can't believe that those big fish have disappeared from these waters, just people are not targeting them. Now is the time to target them, trolling big minnow baits along the shoreline, early in the morning and late into the night. These big fish hang out deep during the day then come up and feed in the low light periods. You are hunting more than fishing. With some of the new technology, I would think that it would be easier to target them. Electric motors instead of gas, planner boards to offset the bait rather than dragging the boat over them, electronics with down and side imaging to help locate them. I would target Deer Creek and Jordanelle right after ice out, using the big minnow baits: Husky Jerk Rapala's, old Cordel Red fins, old Rebel Minnow's, similar lures. Rainbow trout patterns, perch patterns, and plain ol silver/black & gold/black colors will be best. Run them back 50ft, clip on the board to pull off to the side, and troll the shoreline. You might be surprised at what you catch. Get some bonus walleye also. With the water down in these waters, you can see pretty much what you are fishing by observing the shoreline, chunk rock, gravel, etc.

By the way, TD is being MODEST in his pics. He has several where he has multiple 20+ browns and huge perch laid out from Deer Creek. I really don't know anyone who has caught more big browns out of that lake than him, out of a tube, on small jigs. Maybe we can force him into doing a pictorial of each body of water with some of his more memorable catches. Make for some good Fish Porn and we end the ice season !!