Why not triploid trout for TCD

[bombora]

Haven't even fished there yet (ha), but have read heaps and each report I read during colder months talks of desperate trout and false spawning behaviour. No suitable streams into the dam seems to produce frustration for both fish and fisho: poor old trout suffering "blue balls" and fishos suffering frusration as they try to tempt trout obsessed with trying to spawn. So why isn't TCD stocked with triploid trout? Would seem to make sense: faster growing fish and no false spawning hassles.

WHile I'm here has anyone anywhere in the world created a fake "breeding stream" on a stocked dam that trout could spawn in? A fake stream set up with the right pebbles/shale that they lay their eggs in/on and a pump drawing water from the dam to the top of the fake breeding stream? WOuld it work? Not the right stream chemistry for breeding/laying eggs??

Might actually one day get to the dam!!!

[royts]

Do triploid trout not have the urge to spawn? I thought they were just infertile, correct me if I'm wrong.

[bombora]

Yeah don't know. Found this on web from US, but don't know if dinkum:

"Other than Brookies and Lake trout (which are actually Char and not trout at all), trout can not spawn without moving water. Non sterile trout (diploids), will want to spawn in a stillwater fishery and will use up a lot of it's energy going into spawn mode especially the females which still produce eggs. Because these eggs can not be released, they must be absorbed back into the body causing a lot of stress and in many cases mortality. By sterilizing the trout (triploids), the energy that would have been used for spawning goes into feeding, making for big fish, fast. Females will not produce eggs meaning less stress and mortality rates go down."

And some stuff from a UK fish biologist said female rainbows don't search for moving water and don't "exhibit spawning characteristics."

Edited August 6, 2011 by bombora

[bombora]

Appears an some sort of artificial breeding stream with the right gravel bottom could be done (from a list of projects done by yankee company that specialises in stuff like this:

"Klamath County, Oregon — Designed and supervised construction of an artificial spawning stream for native Klamath Lake Redband Trout near Chiloquin, Oregon. The stream was designed to provide optimal species-specific spawning habitat at a flow of 8 to 12 cubic feet per second (cfs)."

[royts]

Yeah, I do remember reading about them in a Greg French book. And now that I recall I think the females are preferred for the reason that they don't look to spawn. He also detailed the process of obtaining female only eggs - they feed female fish food with testosterone so they produce milt with only X chromosomes, and use that milt to produce an all female batch of eggs. Quite interesting!

[luderick -angler]

Actually trout d ospawn on gravel beaches in lakes ther eis one on the Rotorua region where they do so with sucess there is a flow of cool ground water and I have seen redds in TCD on the gravel before so they do lay itsjust there is not the right tep and flow for the eggs to hatch I am led to beleive if only thta little stream up the back of the dam would get a good flow in it!

[bombora]

Hey LA so if there's a stream there they could modify it with the right gravel, put in a simple pump and pipe for flow, and wooshka, a place for them to spawn! I'm sure it's that easy! Or maybe not.

[luderick -angler]

That is it the two main keys to sucessful spawn is cool flowing water and the right gravels!

[bunney10]

99% of stocked fish in the UK are indeed triploids, these will not attempt to spawn and actually overwinter better due to constant urges to feed and not breed,

basically they continue to grow all year round, if TCD was stocked with triploids im sure it would indeed be a trophy water within a few years

[Matt]

99% of stocked fish in the UK are indeed triploids, these will not attempt to spawn and actually overwinter better due to constant urges to feed and not breed,

basically they continue to grow all year round, if TCD was stocked with triploids im sure it would indeed be a trophy water within a few years

Its a Trophy Water all ready.......

I do remember reading something about the Triploids and why they aren't stocked in most Aus Wates. There are a couple of smaller impoundments in Tassie that are stocked (or were) stocked with them but I don't ever recall reading about how they fared? The Salmond Ponds outside of Hobart has quite a few in the holding pens, very powerful looking fish.

They are stocked a lot in UK (where surprisingly they are referred to as 'stockies' ) and to be honest they look very 'sloppy'. By that I mean they never appear to be in good condition often looking stunted? The other thing I believe is that they are somewhat susceptible to disease, in fact now I mention it that could be the reason they aren't stocked. They might threaten the wild populations in much the same as escaped Salmon from the farms are viewed as a potential disease threat. Remember, Aus and NZ have almost the last pure, disease free strains of Brown and Rainbows in the world (I think!).

cheers

windy

[bunney10]

Its a Trophy Water all ready.......

I do remember reading something about the Triploids and why they aren't stocked in most Aus Wates. There are a couple of smaller impoundments in Tassie that are stocked (or were) stocked with them but I don't ever recall reading about how they fared? The Salmond Ponds outside of Hobart has quite a few in the holding pens, very powerful looking fish.

They are stocked a lot in UK (where surprisingly they are referred to as 'stockies' ) and to be honest they look very 'sloppy'. By that I mean they never appear to be in good condition often looking stunted? The other thing I believe is that they are somewhat susceptible to disease, in fact now I mention it that could be the reason they aren't stocked. They might threaten the wild populations in much the same as escaped Salmon from the farms are viewed as a potential disease threat. Remember, Aus and NZ have almost the last pure, disease free strains of Brown and Rainbows in the world (I think!).

cheers

windy

Hi Matt

What i meant by trophy water is catching overwintered fish that reach the magic 10lb,( not sure what TCD record is )

also stockies that have tail and fin damage is all to do with overstocking in the stew ponds, this also leads to disease through infection, as triploids( sterile fish) are better at being disease resistant, These crappy looking stockies are usually from the smaller trout fisheries, I can vouch from personal experience that Stocks Fishery and Rutland water in the Uk have a stocking policy second to none with fish that are fin perfect and very very fit

[luderick -angler]

There are a few doubles in the lake we spooted what we estimated for a double figure bow in May/June over along the cliffs where the quarry sideis cruising no interest a all was shown by this fish

[Matt]

Some good info there Bunney I have read a bit about Rutland (when I was in Ireland last year I read some goods mags etc) and it did sound and look good. I will have to chase up where I read about the lake in Tassie which has Triploids in it.

The biggest I got out of TCD was a Brown a shade over 8lb and have seen some real monsters cruising the Dam Wall.

Got me itching for a trip up there

Cheers

Windy