Curt, great info. I am curious, since I never saw any of the really, really big beaverpond cutthroat or lake cutthroat, were they deep bellied-rounded like a big brook trout can get-or just long and healthy? I guess trying to wrap my head around a high 20-s to 30" fish is tough. Even the spotting pattern must have been amazing.

I can imagine a beaver pond fish-like a lake fish, would not need to burn alot of calories in still water and being piscivorous, would be getting alot of meals in one big bite? I remember even a 12 inch beaver pond trout would have sculpins inside so they started to eat fish early.
Now I think of it, I did see one of the monster Cutts in the 70's briefly. The 6-7 pound coastal cutthroat I saw-without knowing fully where it came from, is now a ghost fish. No pics, it seemed like a Brown Trout (fully Cutt, for sure) in shape-sort of, a deflategate football, and a brute! Long jaws, thick tail and arched back.
Spotted belly. Those odd yellow spots, too.

Seems like another species "lost" not genetically, but topographically/environmentally? so there is hope I suppose