Friday November 6, 2009
At first glance, this small rainbow trout looks a little out of place hanging out with adult spawning Chinook. The trout can be seen staying close to the underside of the female salmon as she begins building her redd, and even gets a little clobbered in the process. So why would a small trout stay in potential harm’s way? An opportunity for food. As soon as the female lays her eggs, the trout will gobble up a nice meal. Not only does this provide nourishment for the trout, but also knocks out future competition by reducing the number of eggs that can become salmon.