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Rainbow
Trout – Oncorhynchus mykiss -
formerly Salmo gairdneri |
Rainbow
Trout are native to the west coast of North
America from Mexico to the Aleutian Islands
of Alaska, and have been successfully introduced
throughout the continent. Rainbow trout are
predominantly green and silver in color,
have irregular shaped black spots on their
back and sides, and have radiating rows of
black spots on the tail. They have no teeth
or tongue, and are most recognizable by the
crimson, pinkish or reddish horizontal band
running the length of their lateral line
from gill cover to tail. There are two distinct
strains of rainbow trout: the steelhead (migrates
to the sea) and the McCloud (freshwater).
The largest variety of rainbow trout is the
Kamloops - found mostly in British Columbia.
Rainbows often put up spectacular fights
when hooked, frequently making a series of
acrobatic jumps. |
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| Brown
Trout – Salmo trutta |
Brown
Trout were introduced to North America from
Europe (specifically Germany, Ireland, England
and Scotland) in the late-1880's, and well-established
populations of Browns are now found in over
forty states. Brown trout are predominantly
light brown or tan in color, and have large
dark brown or black spots along their sides,
usually with some red or orange spots lower
on the body towards the belly. Their spots
often have whitish to bluish halos. There
are few to no spots on a distinctively squared
tail. Brown trout feed on the surface more
than any other trout species with peak activity
occurring around dawn and dusk. They are
very territorial and aggressive fish, and
are often regarded as the most difficult
trout species to catch. |
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| Cutthroat
Trout – Oncorhynchus clarki -
formerly Salmo clarki |
Cutthroat
Trout are native to the western United States,
and are considered by some to be the one
true native Rocky Mountain fish. The majority
of cutthroat trout can be found in high mountain
streams and alpine lakes and rivers. Cutthroat
subspecies include: Bonneville or Bear River,
Colorado, Greenback, Lahontan, Rio Grande,
Snake River, Utah, and Yellowstone. All cutthroat
trout have reddish coloration on the throat,
lower jaw and gill cover, black spots on
the tail, and a patch of teeth at the base
of the tongue. Cutthroat trout hybridize
very easily with other trout, especially
the rainbow, which is a distant cousin -
resulting in the popular Cuttbow. |
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| Brook
Trout – Salvelinus fontinalis |
Brook
Trout are native to northeastern North America,
and are now found throughout much of the
eastern and western United States. Brook
trout are predominantly green in color, and
have lighter, wormlike marks along their
back above the lateral line. The most distinctive
marking is red spots surrounded by blue halos
along their sides. Brookies often have bright
red or reddish brown coloration on the belly
and lower fins - each with a white leading
edge. Brook trout almost never jump. Despite
its name, the brook trout is actually a member
of the char family. |
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| Dolly
Varden – Salvelinus malma or
Arctic Char – Salvelinus alpinus |
Dolly
Varden are very similar to their close cousin,
the Arctic Char, in appearance, and are often
indistinguishable. However, Dolly Varden
have a slightly squarer tail and smaller
spots than the Arctic Char. They are silvery
green with pinkish, reddish and/or cream-colored
spots on their sides. Like brook trout, they
have a white leading edge on their lower
fins. Dolly Varden are mainly subsurface
feeders, and often travel behind migrating
and spawning salmon, eating their eggs and
decaying flesh. The Dolly Varden is a member
of the char family. |
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| Coho
(Silver) Salmon – Oncorhynchus
kisutch |
Coho
Salmon, also known as Silver Salmon or "silvers," are
one of five species of Pacific Salmon, and
are found from the northern tip of Alaska
to central California and inland along major
western streams of the United States and
Canada. The Coho resembles a Chinook (or
King) Salmon with a bright silvery body with
dark bluish to black back and small black
spots on the body above the lateral line
and upper lobe of the tail only. Silver salmon
have a distinctive black tail. Coho salmon
do not feed once they have returned to their
home stream to spawn, but will strike artificial
lures out of aggression. Pacific salmon spawn
only once and then die. The male salmon's
lower jaw develops a hook, or kype, its teeth
grow larger, and they turn a dark red the
longer they are exposed to fresh water. |
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| Sockeye
(Red) Salmon – Oncorhynchus nerka |
Sockeye
Salmon, also known as Red Salmon or "reds," are
one of five species of Pacific Salmon, and
are found from the northern tip of Alaska
to central California and inland along major
western streams of the United States and
Canada. The Sockeye resembles the Chum (or
Dog) Salmon with bright silvery sides and
brilliant bluish to greenish back, but lacks
the faint vertical bands along the sides.
Sockeye salmon do not feed once they have
returned to their home stream to spawn, but
will strike artificial lures out of aggression.
Pacific salmon spawn only once and then die.
Sockeye salmon develop a pronounced hump
on their back just ahead of the dorsal fin.
The male salmon's lower jaw develops a hook,
or kype, its teeth grow larger, and they
turn a bright red the longer they are exposed
to fresh water. |
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| Arctic
Grayling – Thymallus arcticus |
Arctic
Grayling are native to Alaska and northwestern
Canada, and can also be found in parts of
Idaho, Montana, Utah and Wyoming. They are
relatively small with a gray or silvery appearance
and small dark spots near the head. Their
most distinguishing feature is a large dorsal
fin - with its base equal to or longer than
its head. This pronounced dorsal fin is curved
and sweeping with blue or violet spots. Arctic
Grayling often feed on the surface. |
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| Bonefish – Albula
vulpes |
Bonefish
inhabit tropical and warm temperate waters
worldwide. They are predominately a coastal
species, commonly found in intertidal flats,
mangrove areas, river mouths, and deeper
adjacent waters. Western Atlantic bonefish
are most plentiful in south Florida, the
Bahamas, and Bermuda. On the eastern Pacific
coast, bonefish can be found from San Francisco
Bay, California, south to Peru and west to
Hawaii. Studies show the daily patterns of
bonefish consist of a movement to shallow
water during the rising tide, and a retreat
into deeper water during a falling tide.
Bonefish taken from Hawaii may attain weights
over 20 pounds (9.1 kg) and may live in excess
of 19 years. Bonefish feed near or on the
bottom on various
baitfish, crabs and shrimp. They are renowned
for
their sustained, powerful runs after the
hook set. |
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| Tarpon– Megalops
atlanticus |
 Tarpon are one of the world's premier saltwater gamefish. They possesses
some of the foremost qualities of a world-class sportfish: they are large,
very strong, challenging to hook and land, often targeted by sight casting
in shallow water, and a spectacular and acrobatic leaper when hooked.
Tarpon are most common in estuaries and coastal waters, but also occur in
freshwater lakes and rivers. They are generally limited to temperate
climates and are most common from Virginia to Brazil, throughout the
Caribbean Sea and the Gulf of Mexico, and off the west coast of Africa from
Mauritania to Angola. Tarpon are covered with large, plate-like silvery
scales and has a deeply forked tail fin and a huge mouth with a projecting,
upturned lower jaw. Most Atlantic tarpon range between 40-50 pounds, with
frequent specimens in the 60-100 pound class, and the occasional giant
surpassing the 150-200 pound range. |
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| Permit
- Trachinotus falcatus |
 Permit are considered to be one of the most difficult and prized saltwater
sportfish to catch, especially on a fly rod. They are categorized as rare,
elusive and temperamental. Permit have deep, round bodies, a blunt snout,
are silvery gray in color often with a circular black patch on the side.
They are extremely spooky fish that often travel alone or in very small
groups. Permit are found inshore on grass flats, sand flats and in channels
or in deeper water schooling just off wrecks. With a range from
Massachusetts to Brazil, some of the largest Permit are found in south
Florida. However, Belize and the Yucatan Peninsula are also very popular
destinations to target them. Like bonefish, Permit are often seen tailing
in shallow water and typically range between 10 and 30 pounds. |
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| Snook
- Centropomus undecimalis |
 Snook are considered by many to be the perfect gamefish: tremendous
fighters, difficult to hook and land, and one of the best eating fish you
will ever taste. They have a prominent and visible lateral line, a
distinctive, protruding lower jaw and a divided dorsal fin. There are four
types of snook: the common snook, fat snook, swordspine snook and tarpon
snook. Anglers almost exclusively target the common snook, which can grow
up to 30 pounds. Snook are a warm water fish found inshore and in
estuaries, extremely tolerant of fresh water for extended periods of time,
that prefer to hang around overhanging mangroves, dock pilings, and any
submerged structure. Snook like to rest in an eddy and wait for the moving
water to bring them food. |
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| Peacock
Bass (Tucanaré or Pavón) -
Cichla temensis / orinocensis / monoculus
/ ocellaris / intermedia |
 Peacock bass are famous for their explosive surface strikes, spectacular
fighting prowess and are extremely intelligent and territorial. Its name
derives from the large, conspicuous, gold-ringed, black mark on its tail,
which resembles the vivid "eye" on the beautiful plume of a peacock's tail.
Males develop a distinctive fatty lump on the top of their head during
spawning season. Peacock bass are not true bass, and actually comprise a
family of fish known as cichlids. Peacock bass subspecies include:
speckled, black-barred or 3-barred, butterfly and royal. They are highly
temperature sensitive fish that have been successfully introduced in
tropical regions from Panama to Hawaii. However, no permanent populations
of the larger subspecies, known to reach sizes over 20 pounds, exist outside
the Amazon River basin and Lake Guri. Peacock bass are commonly known by
their Portuguese name, tucanaré, in Brazil and Peru, while most Spanish
speaking countries us the term pavón. |
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