...do the sea trout around the north east hang around the coast line much, scouring rocky bays and beaches for food etc, or do they spend most of their time in and around the rivers themselves?
In general, it's accepted that Sea Trout populations travel some distance following/looking for prey from their 'home' rivers. There are no hard and fast rules with regard to distance travelled because different 'populations' from around the UK behave slightly differently (that's down to local conditions) but in the region of 30 miles from their 'home' river isn't unreasonable. Sea Trout once they've smolted head to sea to fatten up but in contrast Salmon (which are away for one winter or more) Sea Trout may run their river (or indeed another river) after just a few weeks - hence finnock.
The smaller juvenile Sea Trout (Finnock) often 'hang around' estuarine waters but their larger more mature bretherin are more itinerant in nature.
Sea Trout - I love 'em
In shetland we have no rivers, so much of the wild sea trout and salmon spawn up smaller burns and we have great fun fishing for them in bays around the coast. I just wondered if this type of fishing happens much down here? I know places like ythan estuary have fish of course, but i was thinking on a much smaller scale.
Sea Trout will nearly always find their way to any small burn entering the sea and nose around for food, so speculative coastal fishing is always worth a punt but it's not done all that much (except at well known locations) on the Aberdeenshire coast. As you say, In Shetland and Orkney it's common practice to fish in the salt for Sea Trout but few folk venture out to try it IMHO.
not looking for places specifically, but just curious about sea trout behaviour in the sea around here. I do plan to fish the rivers of course, but fly fishing in the sea really is fantastic too!
Indeed it is, salt water fly fishing in the UK has become a new addiction for me. In a few weeks time I'll be speaking to an old chum about Sea Trout populations, their feeding behaviour and a few other things Sea Trout related so will chin him for some more info.
Research by the Moray Firth Sea Trout Project may also yield some useful information for you.
H
