American Falls Fish Hatchery just below American Falls Dam

They raise trout.  LOTs of trout.  Trout comp_2304It is purely a sportsmans’ hatchery.  They mostly raise sterile, hybrid, usually all female, trout for release into Idaho waters to enhance the angling experience.  They hybridize to increase growth rate and “fight”.  They claim it actually protects native trout species by preventing overfishing.  That might be; but, all that competition for food and prime streambed can’t possible be helping the locals.  Anyway, the guys were moving little fishes and spent some time explaining their efforts.

Did you know?  If you expose fertilized trout eggs to high pressure just as they begin mitosis the resulting fish will all be sterile but otherwise unharmed.  I didn’t think to ask how they figured that out.

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