(Oncorhynchus mykiss kamloops)
Physical Description
Kamloops trout have bright silver bellies and sides and are either blue or green on top. Coloring can vary depending on habitat variables, such as water temperature. They have small and v-shaped spots everywhere but the belly and head, with a few rounded spots on the top of the head and behind the eyes. The chin and lower jaw are usually black. They are the largest of non-migratory rainbow trout and have muscular, elongated bodies. Their heads are longer and wider than other types of rainbow trout.
Range
Kamloops trout are native to lakes in the southern interior of the British Columbia. They have been transplanted widely, with the greatest success occurring at sites with similar conditions to their native lakes and streams such as Idaho, Montana, Pennsylvania, California, Oregon, and Colorado.
Habitat
Kamloops trout prefer the still water of lakes and reproduce in the lakes’ feeder streams. They can survive in a large range of temperatures, from the frigid water of icebound lakes in winter, when they virtually hibernate, to the warmer waters of summer. Like all rainbow trout, they prefer clear, clean water.
Spawning Habits
Kamloops trout breed in the spring. At three to four years old, the fish make their way up the feeder streams of the lakes they occupy as adults. Female Kamloops trout release their eggs at the same time the male fertilizes them, in beds of loose gravel. In most cases, adults die after spawning, but not always.
The spawning streams in south central British Columbia used by the Kamloops are about 9 F cooler than most other spawning streams around the rest of the world. Although the eggs may be raised in slightly warmer temperatures, studies show these cooler waters are responsible for the physical characteristics of the fish.
Food Usage/Selection
Kamloops trout predominately eat invertebrates, fresh water varieties of shrimp, snails, worms, and leeches. They eat tail up, rooting around in the weed bottom, leaving small depressions behind in the chara weeds and marl patches. They feed most often at dawn and dusk, but they are opportunistic and will feed at any time if presented with easy prey.
Sporting Qualities
Kamloops trout are one of the strongest fighters of the trout family along with the steelhead. Their larger size and resistance when hooked, makes them attractive to anglers. Fly-fishing is effective in catching Kamloops trout due to their habit of foraging in shallow water or shoals. Trolling in deeper water is also effective.
Notes
*Although not genetically different from other rainbow trout, Kamloops trout are a distinct subspecies of the rainbow trout family because unique environmental variables have given them distinct coloring and size.
*The name Kamloops trout was derived from Fort Kamloops, established in 1812 in British Columbia, Canada.
*Occasionally, all of the Kamloops trout in lakes in British Columbia will die during winter due to the lack of oxygen caused by the lake icing over and the slow decomposition of dead plant material. The stock replaces itself naturally, however, when the young trout that have been living in the feeder streams enter the lake. revised.
|
