Brown Trout or Sea Trout?

[GBS]

Hi All,

 

These two fish were taken from a carrier river to the Test on Saturday.

 

The top fish weighs 4lb 4oz and is the biggest fish that I have seen come out of the river in over 10 years.

 

Now, my friend that caught it is desperately trying to convince me that it is a sea trout. I would love him to be correct but there are a few things about it that I don’t think add up. It had damage to its nose, damage to its belly (as shown on photos) and the smaller fins were crooked and not perfectly formed. All of these make me think that it is a stocked fish that has sustained damage in the stocking ponds and in transit etc.

 

In its defence, it was a lean fish and not just a deep and fat. It was quite silver and the tail fin was in good shape being broad and strong.

 

I’ve never seen a sea trout before so would appreciate your thoughts on this if you have any experience on Sea trout.

 

Many thanks,

 

G

[WGD]

Both brownies IMO. Been years since I fished but have caught a few see trout.... you won't need to ask what it is when you do catch one!

[Aled]

Both cracking brownies IMO as well.

Fish a lot for sea trout, and the colouring is a little to brown for a May sea trout.

I have fished the Test on occasions and there are some large brownies in there, a friend of mine had one at nearly 6lb (returned) last autumn whilst fishing for Grayling.

However to throw a spanner in the works, its always possible i'm wrong! I had quite a few sea trout from the Taff in Cardiff and had they not had an Environment Agency tag in them, i would of thought that some of them were brownies.

Nice brace though.

Tight Lines

Aled

Edited May 24, 2010 by Aled

[henry d]

....and the colouring is a little to brown for a May sea trout.

 

Nice though !

[Davy Holt]

Hiya,

 

Both brown trout as Sea trout are only the migratory version of the brown Trout

[wymberley]

Hi,

I'm no expert by any stretch of the imagination, so take this for what it's worth: I think your mate may well be right. Be good to get a definitive answer. Posted elsewhere, I had a nice brace of browns at the weekend. These seem nothing like. Either way, well done.

Cheers

 

PS (edit) See if Jasper 3 picks up on this.

Edited May 24, 2010 by wymberley

[GBS]

Thanks for all responses.

 

WGD, Aled and Henry D - yes I thought it was a brownie. Only the shape of the tail made me think otherwise. I would have expected a migratory fish to be in better condition with less damage and better formed fins. The scars on it make me think that it had been in a high density stocking pond.

 

Wymberley - the bottom fish is definately a brown. They vary in colour and appearance so much across the country but all beautiful in their own way.

 

G

[Gillaroo]

Both stocked brownies IMO. Colouring isn't right for a fresh run sea trout and damage to flanks, nose and fins suggests the same as your thoughts re. stock pond although a better pic would help as they could have been caused whilst breeding - still doesn't make it a sea trout though.

I've landed and released (for a fishing pal of mine) a brown of around 20lbs in the Test which we were sure was a big salmon/sea trout until we saw it. To this day I'll only give him an estimated weight of 19lbs 15.5oz!! Caught plenty of them myself between 4 and 8lbs while fishing for grayling. Just because they are big doesn't make them sea trout and as someone else has said they are one and the same genetically anyway.

Cheers and tight lines.

Gillaroo

[sako751sg]

Both brownies,and crackers at that.Sea troot the now should be gleaming silver and it can be hard to tell a back end sea troot from a broonie by colour alone.

[ollie]

Hiya,

 

Both brown trout as Sea trout are only the migratory version of the brown Trout

 

quite right Davy. I fish a lot for sea trout and these unfortunately aren't.

 

Hi,

I'm no expert by any stretch of the imagination, so take this for what it's worth: I think your mate may well be right. Be good to get a definitive answer. Posted elsewhere, I had a nice brace of browns at the weekend. These seem nothing like. Either way, well done.

Cheers

 

PS (edit) See if Jasper 3 picks up on this.

 

As someone has already said the markings and colours vary from river to river. Have saw a few from Mayo/Galway which almost look as though they are painted.

[bullet boy]

Nice!

[DIVERD]

Definatly browns in my opinion. I am involved in two River Trusts and work closley with our biologist. Sea trout when colouring up tend to keep their white belly, it turns more grey than these excellent fishes butter yellow bellies. At this time of year they would be no where near as dark. Also, it looks like they have the odd red spot, rarely seen in sea trout.

 

Good fish never the less.

[Dunkield]

Nice fish and nice rod a reel too -are they both Hardy?

[GBS]

Nice fish and nice rod a reel too -are they both Hardy?

 

The reel is a Hardy and the rod a Greys. Unfortunately, neither are mine!