Hi, Ken --
Wish I could join you for that WV Aquaculture Forum, but I'll be up in the DC area at least part of next weekend. Sure wish you could stop by and visit -- I'd love to show you the pond. I'm just about a mile ("as the crow flies") from the junction of I-81 and I-64. If my schedule changes, I'll drop you an e-mail and see what we can schedule.

I turned off my aeration system during our cold snap, and briefly had about 90-95% ice cover. But less than an inch, and it was crystal clear ice. The trout remained very active ... especially when I walked up to their usual feeding area. Thought a couple of them might hurt themselves the way they charged up at the ice cover!

There seem to be a lot of variables when it comes to the coloration, spotting, etc. of trout. I don't feel very qualified to weigh in on it, but can offer a few opinions. I think diet and/or commercial feed are very important -- currently I'm using a 40% protein/ 12% fat pellet. But I want to switch back to a 42% / 16% feed I was using (alas, my local Co-op switched feeds on me).

Water chemistry plays a part, too; my pond is very clear, but the water is also very, very "hard" -- lots of calcium and minerals. But the nutrients seem to be pretty much bound up in the chara ... which seems to provide habitat to a lot of little nymphs and aquatic insects.

While I do use commercial feed (feeding greatest amounts from Oct. to early December, and again from late Feb. to early May) the trout also seem to adapt very well to the natural food available. Almost any rainbow I keep over 15" or so usually has pink to orange-pink flesh.

And I have to say that the hatchery I buy most of my trout from (Casta-Line Hatchery just one county north of here) really does a great job. Bryan Plemmons, the manager, is very conscientious about the quality of the stock he maintains. I keep forgetting, but I want to ask him one of these days what particular strains of trout he is using. From what little reading I've been able to do (plus a lot of searching on the USGS web site), there's a surprisingly large number of native and domesticated strains of rainbows out there [note to self ... may have to start a thread on that topic some day!]. Not as many domestic strains of brooks and browns.

So, in brief, there are a lot of variables that got into coloration. But I would really like to hear Cecil's take on this topic as well.

Regarding variation in hatchery rainbows, I think that extends to State trout hatchery programs, too. I know I've caught hatchery rainbows in a number of eastern states that were, well, let's just say "not too attractive." But I've caught hatchery raised rainbows and Snake River fine-spotted cutthroat in Colorado that were actually beautiful fish -- fins and all.

So, Ken, looks like maybe you started a new thread!

Hope to see you next weekend, but if we miss connections -- have a great trip and hope the Forum is a good one. -- Mike

p.s Say Hi to Joe G for me