Sea fish, fresh from the sea, but in a Co Down Estuary

just making the observation that i don't recall you ever posting a fishing report john, but seem to berate those who do . if it's just a matter that you are trying to inform people about identifying different kinds of trout you could mabey help the forum members out by doing a post on species identification for trout in the news, comments and opinions section on the site as that would be more helpfull than coming across as being negative to posters in their reports. but when you finish replys off with comments like "you get it now" and "end of discussion". it comes across as being a bit aggressive or confrontational. at the end of the day we are all here to help each other out

I missed this post somehow, seems I was writing when I should have been reading,
Reminds me of a time when I was talking when I should have been listening… and ended up with a black eye,

But I have to say your post makes a lot of sense Al, not because it is directed at any particular person but because of what it boils down to,
That being we should be here to help or inform people as much as we can, it was short sweet and to the point,

any way not getting into it wth you, you got upset when i informed you your trout was a kelt,

John i think you mis aimed with that, Al didnt say anything about sea trout

Boys, all this controversey over a bloody photograph of a fish!

I have no doubt that Johnfish is an excellent identifier of fish species on his local river, or where-ever. But for those who are unaware of the uniqueness of Strangford Lough, let me enlighten you as to how special and unique this resource is to us up here. First of all I'd like to state I did not kill a kelt. If you look at the second fish, it is quite clearly a fresh run fish, as was my very first. This last fish did have a different appearance, I concede, but there is a perfectly good explanation.
Since 1995 Strangford Lough, has been the focus of a Salmonoid enhancement programme, run by a group calling themselves ADSEA. Most of their research and development is done with the assistance of Queens University of Belfast, a few of these people I know as fellow anglers. Basically they have identified Strangford as an untapped angling resource for the area. Since 1995 they have been stocking the lough with between 11000-20000 smolt sea trout every year. Half of these were put into the lough directly, and will never therefore run the tributaries to breed. The other half are taken from local brood stock, and are placed in the head of all the feeder streams. 15 years later we have a prolific sea trout fishery on my doorstep, where seatrout can be found all year round, in a sea within a sea, and the other half of the population, run the rivers virtually from the start of the year, Hence the varying degrees in appearance and colour.
I personally have no doubt that what I had in my hand was a sea trout, if anyone else thinks it's a brown and can tell from the picture, then so be it. I have had plenty of trouble differentiating between browns and seatrout caught on the likes of the Isle of Lewis, or in the Highlands and islands where the differences were even less obvious, only to be assured by the guide that they were sea trout. So there you have it, I hope this will bring closure to the matter.
Like I said earlier, if you think it's a Brown, so be it! Chill!.....

Think you made a good point at the end, everyone needs to chill out! We're all very keen fishermen on here so lets concentrate on making reports and enjoying our fishing.

Top fish = Brown trout, slob trout are brown trout. there are no differences except one lives in pure fresh water and the other lives in the lower regions of the river in water that contains levels, be they high or low, of salt - Bottom fish = Sea trout. Brown trout have got no problems living in Salty water. I have caught loads and seen loads caught well down estuarys. If that top fish was a Sea trout it was kelt and given the profile of the fish and the fat belly on him i think im safe in saying its no kelt. Its also too early in the year for Sea trout to be coloured up to that extent. Given the fact that you say the fish was caught in 6 ft of salt water its fair to say it would take more than a few weeks for the fish to colour up like that if the fish was in salt water and it was a true sea trout. They dont really start to colour up till they enter fresh water. . The colouring on the pectoral fins is also consistent with a brown trout as well Sorry.. Not taking sides but thats what those two fish are. At least you didnt eat a kelt

Top fish = Brown trout, slob trout are brown trout. there are no differences except one lives in pure fresh water and the other lives in the lower regions of the river in water that contains levels, be they high or low, of salt - Bottom fish = Sea trout. Brown trout have got no problems living in Salty water. I have caught loads and seen loads caught well down estuarys. If that top fish was a Sea trout it was kelt and given the profile of the fish and the fat belly on him i think im safe in saying its no kelt. Its also too early in the year for Sea trout to be coloured up to that extent. Given the fact that you say the fish was caught in 6 ft of salt water its fair to say it would take more than a few weeks for the fish to colour up like that if the fish was in salt water and it was a true sea trout. They dont really start to colour up till they enter fresh water. . The colouring on the pectoral fins is also consistent with a brown trout as well Sorry.. Not taking sides but thats what those two fish are. At least you didnt eat a kelt

Noted, and no need to apologise, just read this post from Fishermannum , with interest;

http://www.sea-angling-ireland.org/bulletin%20board/viewtopic.php?f=12&t=26982

I'm happy that I have said enough on the matter!

defo a slob. no doubt about it.