The WV goldens and palominos are two different things. What you say about the WV golden is correct, however the palomino trout is a WV golden crossed with a normal pigmented rainbow.
Golden Rainbow Trout
Oncorhynchus mykiss
Species overview. The golden rainbow trout is a gold-orange rainbow trout raised under artificial fish culture conditions and stocked as a novelty for angling sport. The golden rainbow was developed from one fish, a single female trout with a genetic mutation that gave her a mixed golden and normal rainbow trout coloration. She was found in the West Virginia hatchery system in 1954. Through selective breeding with regularly marked rainbow trout, an all-gold, golden rainbow trout was developed. In 1963, this fish strain was popularized as the “West Virginia Centennial Golden Trout.” Pennsylvania and other states hybridized the pure strain of West Virginia golden trout with normal rainbows and produced palomino trout, which were true genetic palominos. Palomino trout were first stocked in Pennsylvania in 1967. Since then, the genetic strain in Pennsylvania has weakened, but in recent years the hybrid was selectively bred back closer to the stronger, better-colored golden rainbow trout. Although palominos were stocked as both average-sized and large trout, today’s golden rainbow is raised only to trophy size for anglers and stocked throughout the state. http://fishandboat.com/pafish/fishhtms/chap15trout.htm Cecil,
Thanks for posting that. I'm going to print it out, and post it on the refrigerator in the work lunchroom.
Where I work, about half the employees are from WV, western MD, or western/south-western PA, where these types of fish are common due to stocking.
Since they think I supposedly know a little bit about fish, I have frequently been baited into lunchroom discussions over trout -- mainly rainbow, golden, and palomino trout. Although most only fish about three or four times a year behind the stocking trucks, they consider themselves experts. I'm not sure many could tell the difference between a goldfish and a golden trout.
These same people call themselves "hunters." I think I posted elsewhere, where I brought a beautiful large and healthy doe, that had been gutted and prepared for butcher, to an acquaintance. He nearly lost his breakfast when we transferred the carcass from my truck into the back of his pristine GMC Suburban. I lent him a tarp to put it on in the back of his vehicle. He brought the tarp back to my wife, in a garbage bag. He was wearing latex gloves when he handed her the garbage bag.
I'm sure glad I have the good fortune to own a pond and a little bit of land. I'm sure glad I have good friends who still know where food comes from. I feel I've at least made great headway with my youngest grand daughter (age 7), who likes venison, who is interested in the innards of fish, and who isn't afraid to put a worm on a hook.
Mostly un-opinionated,
Ken
