Tiger Trout even more rare

[Driftless]

One of the "keys" in finding tiger trout in southwestern wisconsin streams is first to have a stream with a "large" population of brook trout. Three of my best producing "tiger" trout streams in southwestern wisconsin have had a significant decrease in the brook trout population.

[Ufatz]

Have you by chance talked with a fisheries biologist from WI fish and game agency regarding this "tiger" trout? It would be interesting to learn the scientists opinion.

They all look like brook trout to me i.e. all char.

Are you saying this is a new species?

Keep us posted as you learn more.

[fishfearme]

MN has a record for Tiger Trout. It was recongized has a hybrid species about 7 years ago now by the DNR.

[goblueM]

Have you by chance talked with a fisheries biologist from WI fish and game agency regarding this "tiger" trout? It would be interesting to learn the scientists opinion.

They all look like brook trout to me i.e. all char.

Are you saying this is a new species?

Keep us posted as you learn more.

tigers are a cross between brook and brown, and in my opinion look substantially different from brook trout

[Driftless]

much more info on the subject on my blog.

is easy to find.

Admin frowns on links to other sites on here.

[Ufatz]

Okay gang. If State of MN recognizes them I guess that's that. If this was done intentionally i.e. some Mad Scientist cooked it up, it is sad.

If nature did it it is still sad. Each species is a beautiful creature on its own. It would be nice if there was some effort to limit the range of these fish.

[goblueM]

ummm... are you being serious? or is your post sarcasm?

[fishfearme]

Really? Are you serious? Surely you can't be. It is the Europeans who brought us the Brown trout, so you can blame the Germans I guess.

Okay gang. If State of MN recognizes them I guess that's that. If this was done intentionally i.e. some Mad Scientist cooked it up, it is sad.

If nature did it it is still sad. Each species is a beautiful creature on its own. It would be nice if there was some effort to limit the range of these fish.

[fishfearme]

I hope this guy doesn't find out about the Splake. What a sad state of affairs there also.

[mitch]

Tiger trout are a hybrid between brooks and browns. No mad scientist made this up. The tiger trout is also sterile so they will not reproduce or take over a stream. The DNR doesn't stock tiger trout they just naturally occur where brooks and browns share the stream. It is not very common to catch one but its not unheard of. I have never caught one but I would love to.

[deets22]

is this guy serious???? maybe we should stop tiger muskies too. what is wrong with nature running its course. browns aren't native but they are here and it is nice to see some brook trout populations recovering. a naturally occuring hybrid of these two species that is extremely rare and sterile is a real treat and trophy. they don't affect the population at all. do some research before you post.

[itchmesir]

is this guy serious???? maybe we should stop tiger muskies too. what is wrong with nature running its course. browns aren't native but they are here and it is nice to see some brook trout populations recovering. a naturally occuring hybrid of these two species that is extremely rare and sterile is a real treat and trophy. they don't affect the population at all. do some research before you post.

nature is not running its course naturally.. brook trout are native trout.. neither of the two strains of browns are native... there is nothing "natural".. in the sense that Browns are "invasive"

my question is does the Brook fertalize both Loch Leven or German Brown eggs.. or is it selective?

[Driftless]

the two types of browns have intermingled through the years and it is hard to find a true stain of either.

[Driftless]

Female brown and male brook from same hole I have caught 4 separate tigers in.

[itchmesir]

i've yet to catch a tiger.. but i know a few streams that have the potential south of 90 in minnesota.. i'll be on the hunt for sure

[Ufatz]

Yeah, this guy was serious. I did not know there was a Tiger Trout. Only a few people in these Forums know everything- I am not one.

The history of the import of Loch Leven trout, first to California I believe, is documented in many books and is well known to fly fishing historians. As stated, brook trout are native species. Nature will do what it will. What I feared was that some person,probably one who knew it all, took in upon himself to design a new trout and thus the "tiger trout" We do not need what are sometimes called Frankenfish. And we do not need the silliness of some commercial outfitters who find a slightly anomalous strain of rainbow trout and start calling it the "leopard trout" for marketing purposes.

Nothing that nature makes is unattractive or unneeded. Were I to catch a "tiger trout" I might remark about its unusual appearance and release it.

Happy to have the knowledge about the T.Trout.

And yes, I am serious about all the forgoing. Ha!

[Lunker]

Well, I think it is kinda neat, but from an ecological standpoint, hybrids like the tiger trout, tiger musky, splake(some debate), etc cannot reproduce so as far as it being "sad" or wanting to limit their range, there are no worries about that. Many of these species are planted for fishing, but again there isn't too much concern because if they are bad for a fishery we just stop stocking them.

[Jospeh]

New to trout fishing!!! Never caught one but what a gorgeous fish. Hope to get one out this year. The picts are really neat keep emm coming!

[itchmesir]

Len.. from your studies on Tigers.. are they more comfortable in a wider range of waters like the brown.. or are they also finicky and prefer the coldest pristine waters more so like a brook?

[Driftless]

coldest pristine waters

fish near springs to catch one

[deets22]

browns are invasive but i doubt there will be much of an eradication effort.

[Lunker]

I would call them exotic but not invasive I keep that invasive tag for those species that really mess stuff up.

[Ufatz]

Fellas, I think it would be better if we reserved the term "invasive species" for some class of flora or fauna that is generally considered to be a nuisance or an "uninvited guest", unlike the loch leven brown trout which were intentionally brought to this country and thus are often referred to as an "introduced" species.

It makes me wince to see the browns referred to as "invasive species."

While a case can be made, and often has, that they displace other species I believe the general consensus would be that they have proven to be beneficial.

Kudzu bad-brown trout good. Asian carp bad-brown trout good. Ash borer beetles bad-brown trout good.

Okay?

[so haaad]

How does the Jackelope trout fall into this discussion? Exotic?

[leakywaders]

I don't think the MN state record tiger was "naturally produced". I think I've read that the MNDNR did indeed breed these things in captivity at one point in time in order to provide some kind of sport fishery somewhere.

Fish and game dept. across the country have tried some pretty wacky things over the last century or so!

I've caught 3 "wild" tigers over the years, all from the same watershed. They are pretty and would probably make a really cool fish mount.

Brian