typical sea-run cutt colours and spots. you can also see the faint orangey/red belly. a common characteristic of a cutty
How do you know that it's sea-run?
One look and it is easily identified as an anadromous cutthroat
Not all coastal cutthroat are anadromous, or sea run. Biologists cannot say for certain that Fraser River basin cutthroat are anadromous, but some
may be. However some may also be lacustrine (large lake dwelling; think Harrison or Pitt) and some may be potandromous (migratory within fresh water only).
Hatchery cutthroat stocked into tributary locations from Maple Ridge to Agassiz, and originating from broodstock taken generally above Mission are virtually absent from the very lower Fraser. This suggests that we are mostly dealing with fish that are migratory but do not leave the confines of the big river for downstream marine areas.
These fish don't organize themselves into neat little categories. Undoubtedly there are lots of situations where fish with different
lifestyles are together at the same time and place.
So, I was just curious how you could emphaticially state that it was sea run?
Clarki - Is that your name or are you just a major cutthroat fan?
I'd call that fish anadromous only because of its size and the fact that it's caught this time of year. I'd dare say that there are not many "resident" cutts in the Vedder itself. The chances of that fish actually having been to the ocean may not be very high. Many "sea-run" Fraser cutthroat may just rear in the mainstem and move around through many of the tribs... These fish are very nomadic and very little is really known about them. There are so many questions about these fish but one thing's for sure, they have got to be one of the best looking fish around...
Major fan. Have targetted them specifically for alotta years...
Not sure that size and date of capture are the only indicators of andromy.
Isn't this statement contradictory "Many "sea-run" Fraser cutthroat may just rear in the mainstem and move around through many of the tribs..." If they rear in the mainstem and move around through the tribs and don't venture downsteam to the ocean, then can they accurately be called "sea run". Coastal Cutthroat does not necessarily equal sea run cutthroat.
PS my favourite discussion about my favourite fish