THURSDAY, DECEMBER 1- I960
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MEDFORD MAIL TRIBUNE. MEDFORD. OREGON
The Rogue River Fisheries
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Resident Rainbow
Are Native Trout
To This Region
Editor's note: This Is the
fifth in a series of articles
by Cjole M. Rivers, fisheries
agent, Oregon State game
commission, on the Rogue
river fishery and its man
agement. (The series are presented
at this time as surveys of
the Rogue basin looking to
a water control program
are nearing completion, and
to aid in understanding the
Rogue, its fish lifo and pro
posed dams on the river and
its tributaries.
(Today's article is a gen
eral description of the var
ious kinds of trout which
are found in the Rogue
basin, their identifying
features, range and use.)
By COLE M. RIVERS
Fisheries Agent
Slate Game Commission
The species of Irout in the
Bogutwalershed are rainbow,
cunhroat, eastern brook, and
German brown. Rainbow are
present in two forms, resident
rainbow and the steelliead, ils
migratory cousin. Cutthroat
are here in three forms, name
ly the resident coastal cut
throat, the migratory coAslal
cutthroat, and the Montana
black-spotted cutthroat.
Rainbow
Resident rainbow are the
original native trout of this
area. They are abundant in
all headwater portions of riv
ers and creeks and down the
main stem of the upper Rogue.
The upper reaches of migra
tory steelliead overlap the
downstream ranges of resi
dent rainbow. When resident
trout are found at points low
er in the basin, they have
either been planted from the
hatchery or are occasional
drifters from above. There is
evidence that the farther
downstream into migratory
range resident rainbow drift,
the more likely they will pick
up the migratory habit of
steelliead and move out to
sea.
Rainbow (rout have a com
paratively small head and I
mouth, small round spots
high on the sides, back and
fins. Sometimes there is a red
stripe on each side. The
maxillary (the bone on the
upper Hp of the mouth, ex
tends back to a position be
low the middle of the eye.
These fish are the most
abundant trout in the Rogue
basin. For fishery manage
ment, they are the best trout
for reproduction, survival,
growth, and general hatchery
use. They exceed all other
trout In return to the angler's
creel.
Cutthroat
Cutthroat trout also have
profuse small spotting and
arc most easily distinguished
by a comparatively large
mouth with a long maxillary
that extends to a position be
low and behind the eyes. The
red dash on the bottom of the
lower jaw is sometimes a yel
lowish color. On some speci
mens, the dash is difficult to
see at all.
Resident coastal cutthroat
are found In headwater por
tions of tributaries located at
higher elevations and arc also
the original native trout of
the Pacific coast. Because
they prefer residence in small
streams, they rarely grow to a
large size. Cutthroat trout
like heavy shade and tfeep
holes with overhanging banks.
Small dark trout found in
headwater tributaries in the
back country arc often called
"native trout." These are not
a different species of trout.
Some are resident cutthroats,
but most are resident rain
bow. The dark coloration, fat
body, and small size of these
fish result from adaption to a
small stream with heavy
shade and cover and slow
rate of growth in cold moun
tain water.
Not much is known about
the true habits of the migra
tory coastal cutthroat In the
Rogue. These cutthroat come
into the river from the sea in
late spring or early summer
and move up the main chan
nel of the Rogue, sometimes
up as far as McLcod. Fresh-
run fish are difficult to find
until November and Decem
ber when they show up again
ready to go up tributaries of
their choice to spawn.
Montana black-spotted cut
throat are found at Squaw
lakes. They were Introduced
in the early 20s. After many
generations of cross-breeding
with the native form of the
coastal cutthroat, only a few
of their original characteris
tics remain..
Eastern Brook
Eastern brook trout arei
Civil War Parlay
arits on seeping
was
MUM.
ern agression and of Q'min
ern rights" the "cold fact '
was that secessionist states
were "protesting against the
loss of status."
However, the historian said
the nation was helpless to
prevent the conflict because
behind the forces which pre
cipitated the var was the
"emerging modern world and
its differing effects on a com-
mon people." 1
tins was the culprit which
had pushed the sections
apart, given them conflicting
BOILING WATER -l Legal-sized rainbow
trout make the waler boil in a pond at the
i:Uo Falls hatchery as they are being fed
by Hank Tygart, a hatchery employee.
found in drainage systems of
the North and South Fork
Rogue and in tributaries
heading high in the Cascades.
They are not native to the
areS but were introduced by
the U.S. bureau of fisheries
and the forest service many
years ago. The fish that re
main replenish their own num
bers by natural propagation
and are doing well in cold
waler areas where the habitat
is Ideal for them.
The eastern brook i.s a
charr, not a true trout. These
fish prefer the use of spring
outlets for laying eggs and do
not require running stream
water that true trout must
have. Brook trout can he
recognized by a mottled pat
tern on the back, white edges
on the fins, and red spots
without a halo on the sides
and body.
Most of the lakes in the
Cascades chain between Cra
ter and Fourmile lakes arc
stocked annually with eastern
brook by the game commis
sion. They have been planted j
again into Fish lake In Jack
son county. Bolnn and Tan
non lakes In the Siskiyous are i
stocked regularly with them
Gorman Brown ft i
The German brown (often
called Lock Leven) Is another
trout that has been intro
duced. These fish were re
leased Into the North Fork of
the Rogue many years ago.
Populations have never grown
to a high level, hut some are
taken each year by early
season anglers fishing In deep
holes between Prospect and
Union Creek.
It Is generally agreed that
German browns are the smart
est of all the trout. Because
of extreme wariness brown
trout are difficult to catch and
are not fish the average or
novice angler can enjoy.
German browns are true
trout. Dusky or muddy color
ation, small red spots with a
white halo on the sides along
with large bkfck spots are
distinguishing characteristics.
These fish are considered the
most hearty of the trout, and
if the habitat is Ideal, they
will thrive, lake over and
crowd out olhfr fishes.
Numerous requests have
been received to establish
brown trout in the middle
section of the Rogue to fur
nish more trout fishing In the
summer months.
As mentioned before, I f
they became established, the
browns would provide, little
fishing for the average or no
vice fisherman. Many would
escape even the expert fly
fisherman because with heavy
fishing pressure they are
known to become tacklcwisc
and grow to a large size and
old age.
Authorities on G e r m a n
brown trout in the United
States and in Germany, be
lieve the Rogue is too warm
for these fish to exist In any
numbers. If this were not
true and the habitat in the
main Rogue suitable, brown
trout would have backed
down from the North Fork be
fore now and established
I
themselves throughout the
Romie system.
Although brown trout
adults can normally with
stand higher waler tempera
tures than other trout, they
require cold, spring - fed
streams and tributaries . to
spawn and reproduce youn.
Brown trout are also tall
spawners, a lime of year
when waler temperatures in
the Ifo;;ue are t'airlv high.
Scouring, winter high waters
could also limit survival.
Brown trout are well
known predators on small
fishes, and there is much con
cern over the decree oi prc
dation that might occur on
young salmon and steelliead
if a few browns retused all
anglers' lures and grew to a
ripe old age.
Many , hard lessons have
been learned in the United
States in ll. exotics are often
found more harmful than
good. The rule that has al
most become a maxim is that
Gettysburg, Pa. (l!PI--Vhe
fourth annual Civil War con
ference has closed with a
warning that those who do not
keep abreast of the times
"are in danger of being run
over."
Avery Craven, nrofesor
emeritus of history at the
University of Chieagu, sa.d
one of the Iesso.; of the war
between tile states vas that
the "ever present problem in
government of securing a ju-.l
balance between central ef
ficiency and loca1, freedom
cannot bo solved by force but
only through understanding
tolerance and slatesmanob.io '
Craven said although sla
very was a symbol of "north-
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LEGAL TROUT - A tub-full of legal-sized lease to streams in the Rogue basin. A total
trout is loaded into a game commission ink- of 137.000 are stocked annuall-Q
er truck at the Butte Falls hatchery for re-
Burgler Alarm ;
Is 'Robber Siller' j
New York-IUPIl-A new bur-1
glar alarm designed for homes
or small business firms oper-,,
ates like an electronic robber '
"sitter" for a local police de-1
partmcnt. '
Installation of the system .
by ils manufacturer, Tele-"
tronic Securities Systerjs, '
Inc., involves wiring between .
the protected place and police
headquarters. -
When the wired premise is .'
forcibly entered, a sigi'M in- -audible
to the burglar, is
flashed to police. Officers can ;
then turn on microphones to
listen in on the robbery and
switch on the lights when '
they move in to caplQ'e him.
Signals, different from the
robbery alarm, also notify po- .
lice of fire or sprinkler dam
age on the protected prem
ises. The system also c:Q be ,
activated by the householder
or businessman during day- -time
hours.
. !ri..-i.Ji'U,-.
cult to produce the statesman
ship capable of finding solu
tions, Craven said.
lie said future generations
might learn from the civil
war thai "when new sources
of energy and Q-v spiritual
values start building a new
atfe, those who do not catch
stride are in danger of being
run over."
Craven said the Civil War
should be regarded as a "na-1 &
tional tragedy, not as a ro-1
mantic museum piece; as I K
something to regret and gam lb'
a lesson from, not something j
to glorify." 1
to
the fish that will do best is :p
the one that is native. 'e -:
In many instances, irrepar-1 .
able harm has resulted by the It
introduction of a new f Kh j
that is not native to the area. Q-;
Not even the new fish or the j IQ
natives do well in the same
water together.
Wow! Se SpeciS
8
(73
i5i Today
Sesfron
Celebrcdion
s' Mas! TrsbircsgJ
lM I:
If
A
Look for 10 big
pagss of exciting
nevs and greaJ
anniversary buys!
Fres prizes, too!
BIG YEAR
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Tho UNITED MEDFORD CRUSADE is so close to its goal
($147,050) that just ONE MORE LITTLE PUSH will do it!
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will insure that the UMC agencies needs are met.
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