Rocky Mountain Whitefish have large scales and are therefore not trout.  They are in the same category as Grayling for identification purposes.  What distinguishes them from Lake Whitefish is the shape of their dorsal fin.  The Rockies dorsal fin is shaped like that of a stereotypical mountain - one that you can walk up and down on both sides without any cliffs.  It is in the shape of an acute equilateral triangle, whereas the top of the dorsal fin of a Lake Whitefish reaches back over the base of dorsal, generally forming an obtuse isosceles triangle - a mountain with an overhanging cliff on one side.

Whitefish are native to Alberta.  They inhabit all drainages in the province of Alberta in good numbers.  Whitefish are fall spawners.

Keep your offering small as Whitefish have small mouths.  The nice thing about hooking a Whitefish is that when you catch one, you will catch a bunch.  This is because Whitefish tend to school together, especially in the fall when they move to overwintering pools and spawning grounds.  This is the only fish that inhabits moving water in Alberta where it is acceptable to use bait and keep your catch for eating.  There are large number of them in most rivers, and fishing for them in the fall is a fun and active way to spend a day, especially for youngster as its all about numbers for them.  Whitefish rarely go airborne, but always pull, roll and head shake well - sometimes rolling themselves up in your fishing line.

Rocky Mountain Whitefish are a fish that is very much taken for granted by most anglers.  When people hook a fish and realize its a Whitefish, usually what follows is a drop of intonation in their voice as they grumble - oh, its only a Whitefish. Its true that except for maybe in the fall, most anglers, including myself, will never go specifically after hooking Whitefish.  They are usually caught by mistake when nymphing for more acrobatic and selective trout.  There have been days however when the fishing has been slow - down right terrible, and the difference between going home skunked or not, has been the good ol' Whitefish - and I am very thankful for that!  No other fish has survived as well as our native Whitefish.  Bull Trout were almost extirpated from Alberta, and Cutthroat populations were very low compared to the old days due to old stocking practices and not managing our fisheries with catch and release regulations.  If we hadn't started to manage our fisheries more responsibly, perhaps the only fish left in Alberta would have been Whitefish.  So the next time you land a Rocky; instead of shaking the hook out of it's mouth carelessly, take a moment to reflect on this resilient and abundant fish, and release it with care.

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