TALKING TROUT: New species of trout found in Rome

I have been around fish and fishing all of my life, 65 years and counting.
During this time I have learned to easily identify at least 90 percent of the game fish found in Georgia and Florida, and I can tell you the names of many of the minnows, dace, darters and other non-game fish that are found in the creeks and rivers near Rome.
On a recent short walk not far from downtown Rome I glanced down and spotted the silhouette of a trout-like fish.
I looked over my shoulder and spotted another one.
I looked closely at the fish and saw a distinct lateral line, the elongated shape of a mature fish and the fin shape and pattern that absolutely belonged to the “Salmonid family” which contains both trout and salmon but even after checking out the spots that were above and below the lateral line I was still unable to name the fish.
The fish was a rusty brown color and I must say even though I cannot name the fish I am proud that it is where it is — on the cover of a storm drain.
Over the past 20 or so years environmental groups such as Adopt a Stream have been marking storm drains with a stencil to indicate that they drain into streams and rivers directly and the water does not go to the sewage treatment plant to be cleaned. This “trout drain” also has two written messages, “dump no waste” and “drains to waterways.”-READ MORE