Beginning in the 1980’s Tim Alpers raised triploid Coleman strain rainbow trout at his Ranch at the headwaters of the Upper Owens River. In the pure spring water, these well-fed trout grew to enormous proportions, full-finned and gorgeous, then were sold to Mono and Inyo Counties and local businesses and stocked throughout Eastern Sierra waters. His trophy trout became so ubiquitous that every big Eastern Sierra rainbow was referred to as an “Alpers”.