Fish IDs needed

[Vagabond]

only way the EA can prove you have a migratory trout is either to catch you red-handed fishing/netting in the sea or to test for radioactive caesium which proves the fish has fed at sea. That doesn't mean that a magistrate would not find you guilty though they should throw out the case.

Exactly - and you can catch brown trout in (personal example) Laxey Harbour - red spots and all, so presumably they would have traces of radioactive caesium if they fed on any sea-food (which is why they drop down to the harbour in the first place).

I also asked about 'slob' trout as we call them. We catch a lot of these estuarine fish in autumn and it is possible to tell them from seatrout as they don't have that iridescent mauve that true seatrout have. He didn't have a clue what they were classified as; they don't go to sea as such.

 

 

You were lucky he even knew what a slob trout was!

[Vagabond]

Double post

Edited June 5, 2010 by Vagabond

[lutra]

Pic's 1&2 are defo browns (red spots).

 

Pic's 3,4&5 I can't see any reason to think Salmon (size, shape and all them spots below the lateral line all wrong for salmon). Browns would be may guess, but its impossible to rule out sea trout.

[Worms]

No, they aren't frogs nor adders neither - but democracy has given us a coalition government, so why not fish ID too?

 

I have been away fishing up norf for a few days, but saw these pics (or some like them) on the fly fishing thread a week ago.

 

As I suggested then, identification of salmonids is not always straightforward. In seventy seasons' fishing, I have had literally thousands of brown trout (from four continents) and a fair few seatrout and salmon too. So I have seen a pretty fair cross section - some with obvious ID, a few that were far from obvious, so I was a bit surprised at how "confident" many of the IDs on these particular fish were.

 

Let me ask a question

 

If you had caught those two silvery fish with no red spots and wristy forked tails, and along had come an EA bailiff who said in his not-so-humble-opinion they were not brownies, and wanted to see your migratory trout/salmon licence (and you only had a trout/coarse licence)........what do you think your chances in court might be ?

 

I don't think an AN democratic vote on ID would help much.

And, as many people have said, trout vary massively through different areas. I have caught thousands of trout and dozens of salmon. Sadly too few sea-trout but, if I caught a salmonid looking like that last silver fish with black crosses in the Lugg or Teme I would (and do) have claimed it as a small salmon.

 

Admittedly, compared with the other fish that Anderoo posted, on reflection, the differences start to meld together. Fortunately we suffer no stocking in my immediate areas and also have runs of sea-trout and ever increasing numbers of salmon. If I hook the latter at a small size I release them asap, The fight is usually different and the silver colour and the black crosses is usually enough to decide species prior to geting them to the bank. As they get older, bigger and bolder and, as seasons dictate and the larder requests, the flavour is usually the deciding factor

 

Unfortunately I have no experience of chalk streams or similar. I have been brought up on a diet of Welsh, English and Scottish streams and lakes/lochs of the acidic (at least) variety. I have read the varied threads on AN and other fora and books with interest.

 

I have led a very sheltered life as regards angling, enthusiastic and narrow-minded due to my passion for wild, natural waters, cane rods and pins (at least I've got some followers!) AN has (thankfully) opened my eyes to a whole new can of worms and it is interesting to see the ID views of salmonids on this site. Whatever the species, Anderoo has caught some absolute cracking fish there and the photographic record is invaluable.

[lutra]

And, as many people have said, trout vary massively through different areas. I have caught thousands of trout and dozens of salmon. Sadly too few sea-trout but, if I caught a salmonid looking like that last silver fish with black crosses in the Lugg or Teme I would (and do) have claimed it as a small salmon.

What would you make of this fish nick?

 

 

Or this one?

 

[Andy Macfarlane]

Pic's 1&2 are defo browns (red spots).

 

Pic's 3,4&5 I can't see any reason to think Salmon (size, shape and all them spots below the lateral line all wrong for salmon). Browns would be may guess, but its impossible to rule out sea trout.

 

Exactly, the colouration is just wrong and none of the tails are rigid either. Skinny wrists and floppy is the first thing I'd check. You pick them up and if the tail root doesn't support the weight of the fish, it ain't a salmon. None of them even remotely strike me as salmon. In fact there's nothing whatsoever there that suggest they're salmon, of any age. I'm also struggling to believe any of them have been to sea.

 

Anderoo, have to spoken to a local ghillie to ask him what the likelihood of there being ANY migratory fish in the river, at this time of year is anyway?

[Anderoo]

This is all very interesting...

 

I think they must be brownies, but the fact that some experienced ANers can't rule out sea trout is fascinating. Andy, there are no ghillies or (as far as I know) anyone who has any knowledge or interest in these little tributary trout. But to get to sea, or vice versa, they would have to travel many miles down into the Thames, and then all the way to London via a dozen or more locks and weirs. I don't know much about sea trout - is this likely?

 

The question about being challenged by an EA baliff about holding the wrong type of license is, shall we say, academic

[watatoad]

had a go looking on google images for pics and came up with this; wish I had thought to look before:

 

http://www.google.co.uk/imgres?imgurl=http...%26tbs%3Disch:1

 

http://www.seatroutfishing.net/fishid.jpg

 

http://content.cdlib.org/data/13030/9f/kt8...175_178_093.gif

 

http://www.google.co.uk/imgres?imgurl=http...%26tbs%3Disch:1

[Worms]

What would you make of this fish nick?

 

 

Or this one?

I was just about to be smart and say first one a northern river trout and the second a stillwater brown......then when I clicked the reply button the attachment details came up!

 

First could be a sea-trout based on shape. Then, the more I look at it I discount salmon because of lack of a distinct wrist, or is that shadow on the board?, very spotty below lateral line and on the gill cover. Then again, a slim head with a short mouth appearing to end under the eye makes me wonder..............it's definitely not a snake!

[lutra]

I was just about to be smart and say first one a northern river trout and the second a stillwater brown......then when I clicked the reply button the attachment details came up!

 

First could be a sea-trout based on shape. Then, the more I look at it I discount salmon because of lack of a distinct wrist, or is that shadow on the board?, very spotty below lateral line and on the gill cover. Then again, a slim head with a short mouth appearing to end under the eye makes me wonder..............it's definitely not a snake!

I think you did pretty well there Nick even with the help of the attachment details.

 

First one looked and tasted like a sea trout to me and is typical of a Lune sea trout. The second one I've found to be typical of the wee browns on Loch Awe ( No red spots and very silver).