Hatchery escapee?

[NathanLukez]

Caught this brookie out of a class a brook trout stream. However, there is a hatchery around 2 miles downstream. Do you guys think this is wild or a hatchery escapee. Let me know if the picture does not post, I am having some issues trying to format it.

 

[NathanLukez]

Also, here are some of the other fish I caught over the weekend. Was pretty good fishing. I fished one other stream so there are also fish from there. Here is what the average fish looks like in this creek.

 

[Swattie87]

That is a bizarre looking Brookie.

 

[Dave_W]

Agree - it's a strange looking fish.

The image is too small to get a better look at its markings etc. but I doubt it's a hatchery escapee.

 

[NathanLukez]

I know right? We caught a few like that, but only in one area

 

[NathanLukez]

Dave_W wrote:
Agree - it's a strange looking fish.

The image is too small to get a better look at its markings etc. but I doubt it's a hatchery escapee.

Let me know if this is a better picture of the markings.

 

[gozu]

The markings on the top half almost look like a tiger trout, very interesting.

 

[Dave_W]

Thanks for the closer picture.

The orange spots are really unique. It's common to see spots blend or connect like this, but the degree to which it is exhibited on this particular fish are unlike any I've ever seen. I'm confident it's not a tiger trout - more likely some sort of pigment anomaly.

Very interesting and a very unique fish.

If you continue to fish that watershed, keep an eye on the brookies you catch and see if you see a pattern in the population. Also a good chance you could catch this fish again later in the year.

 

[drakeking412]

What a beautiful brookie. I'd be like a kid on christmas when i saw that

 

[NathanLukez]

Thanks for the responses everyone. It was definitely a weird fish. I thought it was a tiger at first, but on closer inspection it was definitely a brookie. Odd looking fish for sure.

 

[Solitariolupo]

That sure is a nice fish. Never seen one with the orange on it like that. Bottom fins and tail look like their in good condition could be wild.

 

[flyflicker]

Someone needs to paint that unicorn! Beautiful fish.

 

[salmo]

I'm no expert, but it looks wild to me. Are tiger trout sterile?
Great fish anyway you look at it.

 

[NathanLukez]

salmo wrote:
I'm no expert, but it looks wild to me. Are tiger trout sterile?
Great fish anyway you look at it.

I believe tigers are sterile. Brown and brook trout don't have the same number of chromosomes, which explains why they are so rare in the wild.

 

[foxfire]

Stunning!

 

[tomgamber]

I have to guess its a wild tiger. The markings vary so much in fish like that. Here is another pic of a wild tiger that was caught in Central PA that makes me think its a wild tiger. Those markings are really cool though.

 

[Chaz]

Probably stock, the pectoral fin shows ware. Interesting streaks of the red spots.

 

[tztrout]

Could it be some genetic mutation? These are ancient char.... Maybe brook trout looked like this a thousand years ago.