Hybrid Fish

[raptar]

Hi all I was just wondering has anyone else come across any fish on the Towy that look like stealhead as me and a buddy of mine has had a few over the past couple of years but normally they are about the 3-5lb range but day before yesterday my buddy had one around the 12lb some pic's were taken before the fish was released and once we can can get them off his phone I will try and put them up on here for you too see.

just a thought but are they triploid fish that have escaped for various trout farms/fisheries or are they breading fish + once caught should they be put back in to the system?

description of fish

salmonoid in shape
very silver
hardly any spots apart from the tail where there are loads
small scales
and that very slightest of that rainbow colour

[Teifi-Terrorist]

Could well be Raptar. I think this was happening to a specific river in Ireland at one time that was getting a decent run of steelhead.

Some pics would be cool! ~:.

Could they be salmon / sea-trout hybrids? which are probably more common than most people care to think, especially on certain rivers. For example, around 20% of Tweed sea-trout also carry salmon genes.

Furthermore, I have often found the larger Towy sea-trout to carry less spots than those of a similar size from other neighbouring rivers - perhaps that's genetics again?

For example, 2 different Towy fish:





Then a Neath fish:



Teifi fish (Teifi fish are usually much more 'spotty', this one is pretty lightly dressed):



Are you fishing for these on the lower river Raptar? If they're fresh off the tide then they may well have even less spots!

Perhaps it would be worth taking some scale samples off the next one you catch? Let me know if you do and I'll tell you who to send it to. I've even got a kit here if you need / want it.

TT.

[raptar]

Thanks TT but I have the scales envelope's and will try to remember to send them off the next time.lol

some good fish there well done |\

They look a bit like that Neath fish with the spotty tail but hardly any on the body, I will post a pic as i can

I wonder if they are Neath fish which are lost but like you said are so fresh and silver that you can not see the spots or if they really are salmon/sewin hybrid and if so where do you stand on taken such a fish if you wanted before the 16th of June?
there is a lot here to think about I wander what the EA would say on the matter or even Recognize it as a new species.

[Teifi-Terrorist]

Just a couple of tadpoles, don't worry about them. :>

Have a look at this thread:

http://www.sea-trout.co.uk/showthread.php?t=428

There's a steelhead on there. They do look very different up close and personal.

You have caught more fish in the last decade Raptar than most will catch in their lifetime, and I mean that in all sincerity. You have caught a good number of salmon and sea-trout and because of that I am almost certain you will know what looks more like a salmon than a sea-trout, especially in the larger sizes. The shape, for one, is usually completely different. As a result I think you'd have to take it on a fish by fish basis.

Personally I would never risk it and since they'd nearly aways be 4lb+ they'd be going back with me anyway, but that's just me. I'd love to see some photos though!!

TT.

[raptar]

Just a couple of tadpoles, don't worry about them. :>

Have a look at this thread:

http://www.sea-trout.co.uk/showthread.php?t=428

There's a steelhead on there. They do look very different up close and personal.

You have caught more fish in the last decade Raptar than most will catch in their lifetime, and I mean that in all sincerity. You have caught a good number of salmon and sea-trout and because of that I am almost certain you will know what looks more like a salmon than a sea-trout, especially in the larger sizes. The shape, for one, is usually completely different. As a result I think you'd have to take it on a fish by fish basis.

Personally I would never risk it and since they'd nearly aways be 4lb+ they'd be going back with me anyway, but that's just me. I'd love to see some photos though!!

TT.

yeah I will not risk it ether but I know what you mean about fish id, I will post pics soon but there not the best

[T7]

Interesting about the salmon/sea trout interbreeding. We get some big 'sea trout' here on the Ribble. There was a 21 pounder caught a couple of seasons ago that no one could really identify by the photo alone (shaped like a salmon and few spots but had a sea trout tail). They analysed the scales and it came back as a sea trout. There were 3 double figure fish taken on the stretch I fish last season and 2 of the 3 looked like salmon but with sea trout features (head, tail etc). Possibly this is happening more than we think, especially for the big fish?