Just a Bow?

[lazyRiver]

Anyone ever catch another rainbow like this in pa? It's definitely a wild fish, but can't seem to find another like it.

 

[Swattie87]

Just a Bow.

Edit: Someone is probably going to say it’s stocked too. We’re a fun loving bunch.

 

[sixfootfenwick]

Anyone ever catch another rainbow like this in pa? It's definitely a wild fish, but can't seem to find another like it.

Try Big Spring.
Some of the big bows have the same coloring, spots and pink fins.

 

[tomgamber]

Could be a fingerling stocking. Regardless. It's a great fish.

 

[LLR]

Great looking fish!

 

[ROVERT]

I wouldn't go as far as definitely wild but it is a great fish.


This isn't the best example as I don't have access to all my photos right now but, while certainly not as nice as your example, this fish was stocked:

With some time, those fins would have healed up.

 

[Dave_W]

It's a nice fish and certainly could be wild - looks like a fish you'd see out West. Note the hook scarred jaw, which is common on fish from pressured waters.

It's not unusual to see a really big, nice looking bow like this in some of the well known central PA limestoners. Some of these fish migrate in from private waters and/or grew to large size from artificial feeding. After awhile, they just settle in as part of the natural fish population, which is usually wild browns, and make for a nice bonus catch.

I also think that, generally speaking, stocked bows are looking a bit better these days (at least in my neck of the woods). Tweaks in pellet feed seem to be producing fish with brighter reds. This is especially true with fish I catch in streams that have fish from private hatcheries.

Thanks for posting some nice winter motivation.

 

[wildtrout2]

The OP's fish does appear to be a wild rainbow. I believe they're the toughest to distinguish wild from stocked of the three trout found in Pa. It's a beautiful fish either way.

 

[wgmiller]

The OP should probably share precise GPS coordinates where the fish was caught, that way we can put the issue to bed once-and-for-all! 😂

 

[Bamboozle]

For some reason, I don't particularly like the look of rainbow trout so I don't particularly care to catch them.

If the rainbows I caught looked like the one in LazyRiver's post I think I would change my opinion...

That fish reminds me of a cutthrout trout which I happen to think are among the most beautiful trout species.

 

[HopBack]

Looks like a typical Big Spring bow

 

[Brown71]

Nice looking fish, definitely could be wild. Don’t see anything strange about it’s color/pattern though. Catch ‘em like this all the time, along with the other about 30 plus color varieties/strains that are out there.

Nice fish though!

 

[Cebe]

Looks like a cuttbow hybrid

 

[Swattie87]

Looks like a typical Big Spring bow

That’s what I first thought too. Looks like the strain that is common in some of the CV limestoners. The strain(s) that are established in some of the small freestone streams in NW PA, the Laurel Highlands, and the Upper D watershed look completely different.

That said, the background of that photo suggests a stream that is larger than the CV limestoners. I have a pretty good guess I think, but out of respect for the OP, who chose not to reveal the location, I’ll refrain from posting my guess.

Edit: The below are three wild Bows from three different small freestone streams in PA. For comparison. I don’t have a lot of CV wild Bow pics, as I don’t fish that area often, but maybe someone can post a few of those for comparison.

 

[wildtrout2]

Here's one from NW Pa.

 

[falcon]

I have caught some fine lookiing stocked bows of whiich some are 20 inches in the Brodheads and tribs. You get the big initial surge ..... then mostly dead weight. A wild bow in the Upper Delaware is a different fish.

 

[wildtrout2]

I have caught some fine lookiing stocked bows of whiich some are 20 inches in the Brodheads and tribs. You get the big initial surge ..... then mostly dead weight. A wild bow in the Upper Delaware is a different fish.

I've heard the bows on the Upper Delaware take off like a freight train.

 

[Jay_H]

Wild one from the CV.

Wild one from TN.

 

[mt_flyfisher]

It is a rainbow, and a unique one at that. In fact it appears to have its own serial number, which you can see just behind the gill plate.

 

[tomgamber]

That spotting pattern reminds me of the cutbows in Henry's lake.