Fish ID Pls..?

[Eoghan]

So we had a savage weekend in Brandon, one of our best yet. But more of that later, will do a full report tomorrow when I have more pics. I hooked this little stream train one afternoon and looking for an ID. We think its a Salmon on account of the upturned mouth n all that, but clearly been in the river a while or perhaps out for a year and back in, no idea. Some scrap off it though..! Went back alive. Wasnt sure what it was but figured whatever it was I hadnt a license to keep it..!

[The Austrian]

that's a sea trout as far as I can see from the pic, nice one Generally the sea trout's mouth is considerably longer, ending well past its eye.
The sea trout is not a species in its own right, but a migratory form of the brown trout (Salmo trutta .)
Sea trout are like Atlantic salmon in that they migrate to the sea to feed and grow before returning to fresh water to spawn. Most sea trout will enter the rivers from May to October depending on water height. This one is a male (hence the beak) going upriver for some fish fun.

good read here: http://www.atlanticsalmontrust.org/know ... ition.html

[saving private brian]

seatrout buddy,,,just well coloured marks on it ,,look how far the marks go down the belly,,,nice fish,,

[Eoghan]

Sorry if it is then aologies for posting the pic. Wouldnt have intentionally. It wasnt silver at all, if anything it was brown. Doesnt really show well in this pic. I caught 5 other sea trout which were completely silver and had rounded mouths. I only took this pic as I was baffled but again apologies if the pic offends anyone. I was not targeting the species, there were just lots about.

[The Austrian]

I have no problems with your picture, it was posted to ID the fish and you stated it wasn't caught intentionally and the fish was released, which is good enough for me. As I've said above, it's migration time and water levels in most rivers are fairly high, therefore it is not surprising you hooked one by accident. And it looks more like a brownie anyway, that's a fair excuse
here is another interesting link: http://riverclydefishing.com/seatrout.html

[Eoghan]

The bit that really threw me was the upturned mouth like you would see in a cock salmon. It wasnt rounded at all like any of the others.

[Preston]

The easiest way to tell is you can "tail " a salmon but not a seatrout

[Tanglerat]

Cock Sea Trout. Nice fish.

[Eoghan]

Cock Sea Trout. Nice fish.

Wow, nice one. Never saw one that colour before. Is it because it had been in the river a while..? I have caught a few before but always have been bight silver.

[Tanglerat]

Yeah, they'll start to come in coloured up now. Mind you, it could also be a slob trout I suppose, one of those weird ones, a brown trout that doesn't complete the transition to a true sea trout. They'll be running back upriver now as well.

[nicefish]

Nice fish Eoghan, looking forward to the real report.

[The Austrian]

Yeah, they'll start to come in coloured up now. Mind you, it could also be a slob trout I suppose, one of those weird ones, a brown trout that doesn't complete the transition to a true sea trout. They'll be running back upriver now as well.

slob trout that's the correct name I was looking for, thanks! weird ones indeed Now I believe we have the proper ID

[Eoghan]

Well that makes sence, It stood out like a sore thumb. In between silver bass and trout this guy looked well out of place. But yeah a cross between a sea trout and brown trout would sum it up. Got half way down the river and decided "Ah I couldnt be arsed" - I know how he feels..!!

[The Austrian]

But yeah a cross between a sea trout and brown trout would sum it up

yes, that's it nearly, but a slob is not a cross, slob trout are fish which never get past the estuary, that's the reason why they are there in numbers and you have got one
But like sea trout they migrate back up the river to spawn. Sorry about having added even more confusion, read the finer details here if you still happen to be in the mood: http://www.fishingnet.com/brown_trout.htm

[Eoghan]

"Unlike salmon, sea trout do not usually die after spawning. Around 75% of sea trout will will return to the sea to feed and then come back again to the river to spawn. Like salmon, sea trout do not generally feed in fresh water, even though they may enter fresh water many months before spawning. When they first enter the river, sea trout are very silver in colour. Once in the river for a while, they lose this silver colour and look like resident brown trout, only bigger! The only sure way to tell if a trout has been to sea is to take a scale and ‘read’ it under magnification – the growth rings will show if it has grown quickly on the rich food in the sea."


Found the above on a webiste. Could also be the reason. This fish could have been feeding up before migrating upstream to spawn.

http://www.wildtrout.org/content/sea-trout

[Eoghan]

But yeah a cross between a sea trout and brown trout would sum it up

nah, sorry mate, but a slob is not a cross, slob trout are fish which never get past the estuary, that's the reason why they are there in numbers and you have got one
But like sea trout they migrate back up the river to spawn. Sorry about having added even more confusion, just have a good read here if you still happen to be in the mood: http://www.fishingnet.com/brown_trout.htm

No I know that, what I meant is that if you asked me to describe what I caught that what I would have said. Also just posted that last one before I read your post above. Love the info, very interesting. I never knew they were brownies first etc..

[The Austrian]

Love the info, very interesting. I never knew they were brownies first etc..

that's precisely what drives me outdoors whenever possible, every day bears new surprises and makes one realise the true miracles of life!

[cathalger]

Lovely fish, as Tanglerat says a cock sea trout with the wee kype just like that of a cock salmon near spawning time. Hard to know if its ever been in freshwater yet but a late runner will be colouring up and will have a kype developing even before it hits freshwater. Very late running cock salmon can be caught in freshwater in late October (where the season is still open til Halloween) very red with big kypes but sea lice on them indicate they have only left the sea that day. Trout spawn earlier than salmon, usually in November, early December so its no surprise to see them in spawning mode during October, sometimes the milt runs out of fish like this when landed showing just how ready to spawn they are in late October.

Thats a peach of a sea trout, nice catch, why wouldnt you share the pic Eoghan, its a beauty? Love its golden hue.

[cathalger]

Just noticed the plaster of sea lice on its gill plate Eoghan, it'll shed them when it does hit the river but its not a bad idea to take as many of the lice as possible of a sea trout that is being returned to the sea, it just does the fish a bit of a favour to take its parasites off it.

[jgraham768]

That's a sea going brown trout, it's too golden to be a seatrout. If there's any river or estuary near where you were fishing that's his home. Sea trout have a very strong silver and far less dots, sea trout will have gone into the sea from as young as four or five months and gain a very prominent silver at a young stage.