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Wild trout thin this year?


kenj

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My southern syndicate water has been in constant flood since December, resulting in some very thin fish. This is the first trout I netted from the river on Friday, which gave a good account of it'self, despite it's lack of weight.

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These are indigenous wild browns and we operate a strict, barbless hook, catch and release policy. Hopefully they will put on a bit more weight, when the river warms up.

Interestingly, I was fishing a free urban river nearby earlier in the week, where it runs through a recreation ground and the trout were very plump, no doubt due to the ready supply of bread fed to the local ducks.

http://www.urbanfieldsportsman.com/index.php/recreation-ground-trout/

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I haven't been out for trout on the fly yet this season, but I caught more than usual from the Thames this winter, so I think the floods have moved fish about.

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Following up about wild trout on our river being thin this year, I landed this beautiful stockie yesterday. We have stocked waters above ours. Maybe this is why the wild fish are so thin?

 

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Edited by kenj
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The wild trout have red spots below the lateral line. We also get a few rainbows come down river. If you check out my small river reflections thread you'll see some nice wild browns along with a few intruders. http://www.urbanfieldsportsman.com/index.php/small-river-reflections/ They are good sport on a seven foot 4 weight rod.

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Other giveaways, besides them often having different colouration to the native fish - stockies take a while to grow back the crisp edges to their fins, especially the tail fin and they're often a lot bigger than wild trout.

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  • 4 weeks later...
Guest bluedun

Colouration is not always a good guide as wild fish can vary quite a bit. Fin condition is generally a better guide, though it's not infallible. Stockies are often peas in a pod though - all one size. So if you know what size they were stocked at, that's useful in identifying them.

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Since I posted this thread I've netted a couple more "stockies", one had plenty of red spots, the other was an over wintered fish. I am now confused as to stockie, or not stockie.

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http://www.urbanfieldsportsman.com/index.php/overwintered-stockie-pays-its-dues/

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Hi Phone,

I've just returned from a short visit to my syndicate water, it's only ten miles away. This was the best of eight taken in two hours.

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The camera did not do justice to the colours of this wild brown. It looked better through poloroids. We return all our fish. Ken

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