Freshwater Fish of the Week Brown Trout 7/19

[tubeN2]

TROUT, BROWN Salmo trutta.
Other names for brown trout (all forms): German brown, German trout, German brown trout, Loch Leven trout, European brown trout, English trout, von Behr trout, brownie, sea trout, lake trout, brook trout, river trout.
Other names for river and stream brown trout: Danish: baekørred; Finnish: tammukka, purotaimen; French: truite commune; German: bachforelle; Norwegian: bekkaure; Polish: pstrag potokowy; Russian: forel strumkova; Swedish: bäcköring.
Other names for brown trout in lakes: Danish: søørred; Finnish: jarvitaimen; French: truite de lac; German: seeforelle; Polish: troc jeziorowa; Russian: forel ozernaya.
Other names for sea trout, or sea-run brown trout: Danish: havørred; Dutch: zeeforel; French: truite de mer; Gaelic: breac; German: meerforelle; Italian: salmo trota; Norwegian: aure orret; Russian: losos taimen; Spanish: trucha marina; Swedish: öring.
One of the most adaptable members of the Salmonidae family, the brown trout was the first species of trout described by Linnaeus, the father of modern taxonomy.
The species called Salmo trutta (meaning respectively "salmon" and "trout") is the backbone of natural and hatchery-maintained trout fisheries on six continents, and is one of the world’s premier sportfish, but it takes on many forms—river, lake, and sea-run—in many diverse environments, and is greatly varied in its appearance.
Identification. Brown trout get their common name from the typical olive green, brown, or golden brown hue of their body. The belly is white or yellowish, and dark spots, sometimes encircled by a pale halo, are plentiful on the back and sides. Spotting also can be found on the head and the fins along the back, and rusty red spots also occur on the sides. There is a small adipose fin, sometimes with a reddish hue, ahead of the tail. Sea-run brown trout have a more silvery coloration, and the spotting is less visible. Residents of large lake systems, especially the Great Lakes of North America, have a silvery coloration as well, dark spots without halos, and no colored spots.
Distribution. The brown trout is found in rivers and lakes in much of North America, with the exception of the most southerly American states, the most northerly Canadian regions, and Alaska. It is also found in some coastal rivers from Long Island, New York, to the Maritime Provinces and Quebec.
Habitat. Brown trout prefer cool, clear rivers and lakes with temperatures of 54° to 65°F. They can survive and thrive in 65° to 75°F conditions, which are warmer than most other trout can tolerate, but in streams they do best where the summer temperature is less than 68°F. In streams and rivers, they are wary and elusive fish that look for cover more than any other salmonid, hiding in undercut banks, in stream debris, surface turbulence, rocks, and deep pools. They also take shelter under overhanging vegetation.
Size/Age. Brown trout are capable of living up to 18 years, but most live no more than 12 years; sea trout can spend as long as 9 years in the sea. Most river and stream fish are only 9 to 14 inches long and weigh up to 4 or 5 pounds, rarely growing more than double that weight, although there are some notable exceptions. Big- vriver and lake specimens can grow to huge sizes. The North American record, caught in 1992, is 40 pounds 4 ounces.
Life history/Behavior. Brown trout spawn in the fall and early winter (October through February) in rivers or tributaries of lakes or large rivers. They return to the stream where they were born, choosing spawning sites that are spring-fed headwaters, the head of a riffle, or the tail of a pool. Selected sites have good water flows through the gravel bottom. The female uses her body to excavate a nest (redd) in the gravel. She and the male may spawn there several times. Females cover their eggs with gravel after spawning, and the adults return downstream. The eggs develop slowly over the winter, hatching in the spring. A good flow of clean, well-oxygenated water is necessary for successful egg development.
Yearling brown trout move into cobble and riffle areas. Adults are found in still deeper waters and are most active at night. They mature in their third to fifth year and many become repeat spawners. Apart from moving upstream to spawn, adults tend to stay in the same place in a river with very little movement to other stream areas. Others move to or from estuaries in the spring or fall.
In sea-run populations, brown trout spend two to three years in freshwater, then migrate downstream to spend one or two growing seasons in coastal waters near river mouths and estuaries, where they feed on small fish and crustaceans. Most return to their home streams to spawn. In lakes, brown trout seek out levels of preferred temperature, and are deep during summer months and shallower in spring and fall when the water is cooler. After ice out, they are in shallow and nearshore areas, often around warmer tributaries, but move deeper as the surface level warms.
Food. Brown trout are carnivores and consume aquatic and terrestrial insects, worms, crustaceans, mollusks, fish, salamanders, and even tadpoles or frogs. In small streams their diet may be largely insects; but in larger flows or where there is plenty of baitfish, it also includes assorted small fish. In large lakes, the primary diet is other fish, especially abundant pelagic schooling species, such as alewives; small fish are a primary food for sea trout.
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[Bassmaster-ND]

Here's a nice picture of an 18" that I caught earlier this year.[url "javascript: addTag('cool')"][cool][/url]
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[tubeN2]

That is a beauty. I wished that I had browns closer to home. I usually have to drive about 200 to 300 miles just to get some.

There were always plenty around when I lived in UT.[url "javascript: addTag('cool')"][cool][/url]
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[Bassmaster-ND]

I have some great brown trout lakes around where I live that are less than an hour away. I like catching trout, but I will always choose catching a brown trout over rainbow trout anyday. Brown trout will always fight harder[url "javascript: addTag('cool')"][cool][/url].
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[tubeN2]

We do have plenty of prime bass lakes. LMB only. The smallies are also far away.

We do have plenty of Cats and panfish though. You are doing a good job on your signature line. Way to go Bass.
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[FisherMOM]

I too love catching a Brown trout! beautiful fish!!!!

thanks for the article tuben!
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[tubeN2]

Hey FisherMOM, I've seen some of the Browns that you have posted. They are a truly beautiful species. I hope to see some more in the future.[url "javascript: addTag('cool')"][cool][/url]
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[DanielJRioux]

Now that is a good looking fish, if it was a girl I would kiss her![]
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[patches]

hey there bud! hope all is well, well i love the browns and also do agree that the brown is the best fightin as fer as trout. there is. i,ve had more fun over to pulaski catchin big browns out the lake and in the river and had most all fight as well as the king salmon. i had a 27 lb brown fight along time, and had a ball runnin up and down that river tryin to git him in. ahha what a time. that was the first year i,d gone over many moons ago. haha they are very good tastin! i love bakin em out over the grill or especially wood fired coals. aint nothin better, well my brookies, i love it in the fall when the males git that hook jaw. sets em right out more so than the rest. good article on em ya did. we,re gittin lotta thunderstorms rain, makin hte brooks rivers muddy. boy those brown love that, and i do too cayse i catch more of em. ahha later goin to my sons weddin this comin week wish ya all could join me. haha cliff keeps sayin jack,{dad} is givin him away.} haha i said, NOT TOO FER!! HAHA LATER have fun fishin!
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[HeGotAway]

ok while we are on the subject of brown trout i have a question.

i caught a brown yesterday that was very light in color and lacked the blue halos and the reddish spots.
what could cause the fish to be colored like this?
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[patches]

well it could be, like there,s different types of browns this may be one of em.dependin on whats in your brook, wheter it has only one brown breed. or not a german brown,----- i have only german brown here in vermont and all that there is as fer as breed n my brook, or the state. of vt. there,s times when some camealighter color and have just a vauge touch of red spots and sometimes none and with some silver and just gold, just colorizin but still the german brown. just as some pinto ponies come black and white, brown and white, and the ya can have a pinto that is toltaly black solid, still a pinto without the white. except on the face, and four white legs. just cause there,s no red or lighter color doenst mean there still not the same breedin. see what i mean??? tried to hep, haha
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[tubeN2]

There are different factors that contribute to the coloring of the brown trout. Some of them is diet, water temp and purity of the strain or species.

Some states genetically alter some of the species of trout which produce different color variations as well as new hybrid species. The one that you are referring to may very well be a hybrid.

In Utah they do have brown/bows, cut/bows and a few others. Back when I lived in Utah they didn't play around with the fish like that. Now the DNR, DOW, DFG as well as other Fish, Game and Wildlife directors of many states are produceing these hybrids to supplement the natural sportingness of fishing for many states.

They have a few species of hybrids now in California where I currently reside. If you have any further questions, please feel free to ask.[url "javascript: addTag('cool')"][cool][/url]
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[patches]

haha tuben2 i guess thats more or less what i was tryin to say, haha in a round abouts way. haha but i did fergit bout them hybrids. yjey put out./ our browns are all native and my brookies/ but we got the new rainbows they stocked, and have fer yeatrs now, they call them hybrids/ buts they are still the same lookin wise as the rainbows that were in ther native from when i was a kid. color wise, and all. but they say they can,t or wont breed and have little ones/ but i,ve also opened em up after they been in the pond over the winter and spring run the brook,and they do there thing, and they have eggs in em. do ya think they are gonna be fertile when the males do there thing??? or not?? they been stockin these fer years now. and as most states stock each year. the brookies in the little brook cross the house have been true natives i know fer years cayse they stay in there all year long. mountain brookies. yum! haha later
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[tubeN2]

Those hybrids are all sterile. They cannot reproduce. On the other hand, if they are planting natural trout, it is usually during a time when the water temperature is a little higher than what they require for proper spawning.
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[patches]

well buddy boy, this makes me PRETTY HOT!so this point here sucks! so what we.re gonna end up doin, is relyin on the stupid state to stock sterile fish so,s they make more money, and our fish, the enviroment nature is gittin totally CONTROLLED BY THE STATE AND THOSE WHO CONTROL THE WHOLE SINARIO OF STCOKIN AND THE FISH! nature! this is outrageous. and sucks. it boils down to money again. boy i hope it dont happen to my brookies and browns. it,s man playin god again. it,s no different than throwin the goldfish into the pond when they dont belong there, cause those hybrid will eat my little natives and browns that are tryin to grow. and them stinkin hybrids will take over my brook. feel like fishin em all out. but then ya dont know if there old ones that will still reproduce either when they been in there awhile cause they look the same. this stinks. playin god.and thats worse than the gold fish sinario. CLOANIN!
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[tubeN2]

They are actually using the money that we all pay for the licenses with. It is not so much as man playing God but because there are too many people harvesting fish instead of doing a proper catch and release effort.

It is nice to save a good fish once and awhile for the table, but some people keep everything they catch and don't leave enough to reproduce more species for the future.

They hybrids will not reproduce nor will they eat the eggs of other fish. They are usually planted long after spawning season is done with just for that reason.[url "javascript: addTag('cool')"][cool][/url]
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[patches]

to have fish that dont spawn only can come from human interference. if god didnt do it, then who did???? biologists scientists who want ot play god and see what they can screw up next.SHEEP, PIGS, HUMAN NEXT"" HAHA HUMAN GINNY PIG. CAUSE THATS WHAT THEY,LL BE, IF IT DONT WORK THE FIRST TIME DO IT AGAIN?? MY MOTHER WAS A HUMAN GINNY PIG WHEN SHE WAS THE FIRST OT HAVE A AORTOR REPLACED IN HER HEART, they were called doctors that did it, but they are also scientists. when theuy were usin ma, as one of the first to operate on, and learnin on her. fer those that are havin the same thing done now adays. that,s who they learned on, but i was lucky enough to have my ma she was here fer 73 years. even though she suffered all her life, with me and cliff, but there was choices made, to do or not to do.laid it on hte table, many times over the years, till then there was nothin to be done anymore. but does man give nature, animals these choices??? no. and man made those choices, fer them. and they pay the price.to me these scientists have choices, whether not to play god or not, and this to me IS power- control, of AND OVER nature, enviroment-and they git away with it. IT IS NOT MORAL! AND THEY DONT CARE ABOUT MORALS! or the soul, be it human or animal, and who,s to say animals dont have souls????? they are probably athieists that dont believe in nothin dont dare to, cause they probably couldnt sleep very well if they did, fer what there doin. only what they want and need. and dont care about anythin or anyone be it human or animal.ONLY THERE CAREERS. these fish have sterile eggs in em in my brook, what good are they??? i would rather have no rainbow in there and let the rainbow die with some dignity than to be like this. cause these fish are tryin to do what comes naturally to em, BUT CAN,T BECAUSE OF HUMAN INTERFERENCE, IT PROVES IT TO ME OR they WOULDNT have sterile eggs in em! dont ya think?? someone interfered with them fer them not to be able too. reproduce! dont ya think? OR WE WOULDNT BE HAVIN THIS CONVERSATION NOW. it wasnt the fish that did it/ OR GOD, and you dont call that cloanin???? i do! and i know they were stocked that fall and they had eggs in em that spring. same fish cause they are all stocked now. now ya want ot tell me there not gonna do the same as those that were native rainbows, at one time by not feedin on eggs of other fish which is natural fer fish to do?? IT SEEMS TO ME THERE TRYIN TO DO WHAT COMES NATURAL TO EM, INSTICNCTS. as the browns eat the eggs in the pulaski river of the salmon. rainbow is a relative to coho, so themales also eat there own and there own eggs, i dont know where ya git that from. if there a meat flesh eater anythin will EAT THERE OWN BE IT FISH OR WHATEVER, IF IT,S A MEATEATER, TOO,. if the mother doesnt protect. like bears.the males will if ma dont intervene. i have been more with nature than i have with humans which i really didnt mind, cayse they do not control, humans control, and screw it up always in hte end, actually no different than the goldfish, in the bass pond, this is whats happenin here. again. no different htan these hybrid wolves. not till they kill enough kids, human will they figure out, DA, MAYBE WE SHOULDNT OF ------AROUND WITH THE BREED OF WOLVES! DA! or any other caged animal. how about cagin a few humans see how they like it?? i would love to. these jerks that did this. what next????????? i really dont know where or how ya learned that its ok, fer them to do this. or think its right to screw with nature. but these it seems are fillin your head full of bull, animals are more humane than human. least they attack with ya knowin it when where and how they stand fer protectin there territory and defendin themselves and git shot fer it, and protectin there own, with humans it,s behind your back.no wonder i like my dog. i know whre i stand with him. not like these so called humans are doin. i would rather see my licence money goin fer womethin good rather than goin like this. seems though they,d change there enviroment as fer as gittin em so,s they could spawn then i,d feel my money was workin toward somethin worth while when they stock. cause this aint the way to go fer my lookin at it. it aint about the money anyways, it,s about havin fish that can breed, in my brook,havin the decency to leave well enough alone rahter than playin god. i hope theyy sleep well at night. cause i,d sure make it miserable fer em. if i could. hahaha
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[tubeN2]

That was very well stated. I too would prefer the natural fish placed there by mother nature. It's hard to get that point across to the scientist that play with the fishys.[url "javascript: addTag('crazy')"][crazy][/url]
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[patches]

well thanks ya very much fer sayin i put it good, haha that,cause ya wouldnt of wanted to see the other one i put. haha i edited it and put this one. hahahaha nope, i seen too much been thru too much not to be avid about the ways i see, feel, know, use my instinvts to see where these things are goin, and my beliefs i stand on. which make me this ways. towards this inhumane atrosities. if i,n gonna go, i,m gonna go with some dignity, but these animals have no choice, who,s to stick up fer them??? i saw jakes, patches, my misty ajnes soul when htey died in my arms, and i looked into thre eyes sayin goodbye, a part died with me, ya cant tell me aby animal, that they dont have a soul, or god wouldnt a put em here fer us, be it wild or domestic, and not to be able, to go back to heaven, their souls are pure, and only know love. no matter how much thre beat by human, and yet still try to trust again with another human, tell me how hard it is fer a kid to do that after that type of life. it takes quite some time,and animals do. too after time.no difference. only they dont have speech. it,s how we hear em talk, by lookin deep within.
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