Epic Bear Lake Day

[BearLakeFishGuy]

Congratulations on a fine outing and a great laker, but macks are not a member of the trout family.  Macks are a member of the char family and trout belong to the salmonid family.

I'm not trying to be picky or a "know-it-all", but lake trout and cutthroat are BOTH members of the Salmonidae family.  Whitefish are even a member of Salmonidae family.  Where they differ is at the Genus level.  Lake trout are in the Salvelinus genus (char) whereas cutthroat, rainbows and pacific salmon (chinook, coho, pinks, chums, and sockeye/kokanee) are members of the Oncorhynchus genus.  To make it more confusing brown trout and Atlantic salmon are both members of the Salmo genus.  Finally, whitefish are members of either the Coregonus or Prosopium genera.  Is it confusing, YES.  I'm glad I'm not a taxonomist and just a field biologist.   I didn't even mention sub-families which adds another layer of confusing names/grouping for the average person.  Trust me, we use the naming in our daily work and still question ourselves sometimes.