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NY Times explores source of behemoth cutthroats

Cutthroat trout caught by a fly fisher at Omak Lake. (Mike Berube)

FISHING — After my post on a Spokane Fly Fishers outing to catch large Lahontan cutthroat trout at Omak Lake , I received an email from an angler who was surprised.

“When I lived in Omak in 1965-67, we waterskied there and as I remember the lake was very alkaline and nobody fished it,” he said. “Is it possible that the lake I remember is another lake?”

“No, it’s the same lake,” I responded. “But you hit exactly on the reason it is stocked with Lahontan cutthroat trout, a species originating from the southwest and specially adapted to thriving in alkaline waters.  The Lahontan species also is stocked in Lake Lenore and Grimes Lake.”

By coincidence, The New York Times has just published a story recounting the successful effort to revive and preserve the Lahontan cutthroat’s genetics originating from Pyramid Lake, Nev.

Note:  Check out the NYT photo of the anglers wading out with ladders to get out to deeper water while gaining a higher profile for longer casting.

* This story was originally published as a post from the blog "Outdoors Blog." Read all stories from this blog