Stocked or Wild - Georgia Edition

[goodfortune]

Over the weekend I took a trip up to the North Georgia mountains to get my trout fix. I fished two popular DH streams, catching a mix of stocked rainbows and brookies with small nymphs and a Y2K, which seemed particularly popular with the fish.

However, on the second stream, I caught a rainbow that was unlike the other fish I caught:

Sorry for the poor pic; I realized I didn’t take many pics during my trip when I got home.

The stream location and size of the fish indicates a stocked fish, but the bright coloration, along with clean, unworn fins with white tips seems to indicate that it may be wild.

The stream where I caught it gets too warm to hold trout year round. However, it has tribs that provide thermal refuge in the summer as well as wild rainbows.

What do you guys think? Wild, holdover, or stocked? I think holdover, but the white tips have me thinking it might be wild.

What do you think?

 

[LetortAngler]

If the tribs have wild rainbows, chances are good they are moving into marginal water during cooler months.

My guess would be wild.

 

[JackM]

Under the circumstances you describe, I couldn't rule out either conclusion.

 

[Dave_W]

LetortAngler wrote:
If the tribs have wild rainbows, chances are good they are moving into marginal water during cooler months.

My guess would be wild.

Agree with this. ^

 

[Prospector]

goodfortune wrote:
Over the weekend I took a trip up to the North Georgia mountains to get my trout fix. I fished two popular DH streams, catching a mix of stocked rainbows and brookies with small nymphs and a Y2K, which seemed particularly popular with the fish.

However, on the second stream, I caught a rainbow that was unlike the other fish I caught:

Sorry for the poor pic; I realized I didn’t take many pics during my trip when I got home.

The stream location and size of the fish indicates a stocked fish, but the bright coloration, along with clean, unworn fins with white tips seems to indicate that it may be wild.

The stream where I caught it gets too warm to hold trout year round. However, it has tribs that provide thermal refuge in the summer as well as wild rainbows.

What do you guys think? Wild, holdover, or stocked? I think holdover, but the white tips have me thinking it might be wild.

What do you think?

Have you ever fished up near Dahlonega?

 

[Wild_Trouter]

I'm going with wild on that one.

 

[Fly-Swatter]

NW South Carolina, western NC and (probably) north Georgia are lousy with wild bows. Based on that and the appearance, I vote wild.

 

[goodfortune]

Prospector wrote:
Have you ever fished up near Dahlonega?

First time fishing GA, though I lived in Atlanta years ago (before I began fly-fishing)

PMed you the location

 

[gulfgreyhound]

Nice fish! I'd lean toward wild. Georgia on my mind. GG

 

[laszlo]

To me it looks like a regular stocked fish with clean fins

 

[albatross]

Great fish either way Mike.