I didn't realize there is so much color variation between stocked and native fish. Do stocked fish eventually become feral and develop different behaviors, feeding preferences and more pronounced colorations? This explains why all the rainbows I caught in Cherokee looked different and more bland than pictures I've seen.
Yes, there is a lot of difference between stockers and wild fish, both in appearance and behavior. A lot of stockers have worn down or missing fins, are pale and washed-out looking colorwise, and are dumb as rocks and very easy to catch. If they survive and stay in the creek for a long time, they will color up some and start to feed and act more like wild trout, and get much more wary.I didn't realize there is so much color variation between stocked and native fish. Do stocked fish eventually become feral and develop different behaviors, feeding preferences and more pronounced colorations? This explains why all the rainbows I caught in Cherokee looked different and more bland than pictures I've seen.
Typical stocker brook vs. typical wild/native brook:
Typical stocker rainbow vs. wild, stream-bred rainbows:
Typical stocker brown vs. wild, stream-bred browns: