The Bugaboo Cutthroat Trout

Westslope Cutthroat Trout are a native species in the Columbia River Basin of the interior of British Columbia. It was this native species that was stocked in a few alpine lakes in the vicinity of the CMH Bugaboo lodge where they survive to this day.

What makes these fish interesting is that they are pure strained Westslope Cutthroat Trout and are in locations that can't be accessed by other species of fish. The bodies of water where these trout reside are guarded by large waterfalls making it impossible for other species of fish to access the home waters of these trout. This is significant because in many lower areas of the Columbia River Basin, the Westslope Cutthroats can become hybridized with different species of Rainbow Trout, creating a hybrid species generally known as a Cut-Bow.

Ryan Bavin started working for CMH (Canadian Mountain Holidays) as a hiking guide in 2010. During the summers it is possible to see some of these fish active in a few of the lakes in the region around the CMH Bugaboo lodge.

Westslope Cutthroat Trout from near the Bugaboos.

Image courtesy of Todd Cooper, CMH Bugaboos helicopter pilot.

Ryan learned glassblowing from his father, Pat, starting in the late 1980's in Windermere, BC. He also attended the famed Pilchuck Glass School in Washington State from the mid 1990's through to the early 2000's, learning and working with some of the best glass artists from around the world at that time.

Ryan started working on making trout in glass in the late 1990's with his father, in 2008 they had the first show of the glass trout series at Master's Gallery in Calgary, Alberta. The glass fish have since become a signature series for Ryan and they can be found in private and corporate collections worldwide.