Gila Trout Facts For Kids
Meet Cora
Hi friends! I’m Cora. I love fishing so much that I am always studying how to be the best fisher kid. I want to help you be the best fisher kid too. In this post I write about the very rare Gila Trout!
The Colors of Gila Trout
Gila trout are very yellow with a green back. Gila trout also have an orange stripe along their side, similar to how a rainbow trout has a pink stripe!
The really neat looking thing about Gila trout? Their dots! Gila trout have very small dark dots that cover their head, back, dorsal fin, adipose fin, and their tail!
Gila trout colors and patterns.
Let’s Find Gila Trout!
Gila trout are extremely rare, and in the 1970’s were considered endangered (at risk of extinction)! Due to a lot of effort, the Gila trout population is no longer considered endangered however they are still limited in population.
Gila trout today can be found in areas of Arizona and New Mexico. Gila trout like smaller streams at high elevation, so in the mountains!
“In 1973 Gila trout were considered endangered! Today they are considered threatened.”
How Gila Trout Behave in Water
Since Gila trout live in small mountain streams they need to stay protected from predators (an animal that hunt other animals). Therefore, Gila trout hide under fallen branches, rocks and banks. Since they’re hiding they can be very hard to see.
Look for some good pools after a water fall. Gila trout tend to wait in the pools for a tasty bug treat.
Stone Fly
In the stream I fished there were a lot of stone flies under the rocks. There were also a lot of grasshoppers jumping around.
I recommend looking at the rocks and air. Also look to see if the fish are rising or not. If they are rising try a hopper dry fly!
History of Gila Trout
Gila trout came to New Mexico and Arizona from the Gulf of California. In the 1800’s the Gila trout were overfished. There were also non-native trout added to their waters. These two things, and the use of nearby land by humans, caused a terrible drop in Gila trout numbers! Like I mentioned before, these fish were considered endangered in the 1970’s!
Fortunately, starting in 1920 the New Mexico Department of Game stepped in to help. By 2006 Gila trout were no longer considered endangered. Learn more about the New Mexico Department of Game Gila trout efforts.
