Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: MONDAY, May 3, 1993 TAG: 9305030293
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B6 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE:
DATELINE: LENGTH: Short
"We want to see if we can get a better growth rate from them," said Larry Mohn, a Department of Game and Inland Fisheries fish biologist. "We might have a wild fish that is more likely to reproduce."
The fish, which averaged about 6 1/2 inches, had their adipose fin clipped (the small dorsal fin in front of the tail) so they can be identified.
Kamloops have a reputation for attaining a large sizes in British Columbia, where some reach 35 pounds. They have been stocked sparingly in Eastern waters.
The icy water of the Jackson River below Lake Moomaw should be ideal for experimenting with this semiwild strain of rainbow trout, Mohn said.
"We don't know what to expect. We hope we will get better survival, better size, maybe a longer-lived fish."
Anglers must release all trout caught in this section of the Jackson, located northeast of Covington. It has become a popular spot for fly fishermen.
The fry were obtained from the federal hatchery in White Sulphur Springs, W.Va. and were raised to an advanced-fingerling size at Virginia's Montebello Hatchery in Nelson County. Hatchery workers found them difficult to feed because of their wild nature.
by CNB