Fishing The Fly Scotland

Index => Rivers & Lochs => Topic started by: Sandy Nelson on 30/06/2015 at 11:19

Title: Blue spots?
Post by: Sandy Nelson on 30/06/2015 at 11:19: Heres a question to see if anyone is noticing this, or even better has a possible idea why.

I have noticed on quite a few of the fish i have caught recently, both on the Don and other rivers that a fair percentage of the brownies are developing a distinct blue spot on the gill cover aft of the eye, almost like another eye making the head look bigger (one theory) Sometimes it it is very dark and on others it only appears to growing

When i checked through my photo's and others on the forum i have noticed it seems to be quite common, even on some of the FB posts from the north of england, the trout have this blue spot.

(http://www.fishingthefly.co.uk/forum/gallery/19-300615111308.jpeg) (http://www.fishingthefly.co.uk/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=2874)

(http://www.fishingthefly.co.uk/forum/gallery/19-300615111349.jpeg) (http://www.fishingthefly.co.uk/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=2875)

(http://www.fishingthefly.co.uk/forum/gallery/19-300615111456.jpeg) (http://www.fishingthefly.co.uk/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=2876)

So is it a normal part of the trout colouration which i've not noticed before, or are the fish developing a fake eye to make their heads look bigger and fool predators as to their size. Or is it something else? I'm used to the fish having a nice blue sheen on their gill covers but i can't say i've noticed the dense spot before. :z8

I'll be interested to hear people's ideas/experiences

Sandy
Title: Re: Blue spots?
Post by: Derek Roxborough on 30/06/2015 at 11:57: Is that some sign of a stocking or counting programme,could these trout have been panjetted? I will have to pay attention to our Loch trout , easgach 1
Title: Re: Blue spots?
Post by: Mike Barrio on 30/06/2015 at 12:18: Is it only appearing on photos taken with flash Sandy?
Title: Re: Blue spots?
Post by: Sandy Nelson on 30/06/2015 at 12:28: So far these are wild fish so i don't think it is dye, it is the same natural colour as the rest of the blue sheen on the gill plates, just a concentrated area.

Fish were caught from the Annan, the Don and the Deveron, Ricardo had a photo of one as well, the same, off the eden i think, on FB

You can see it quite clearly in real life, the photo's actually hide it a bit, the underwater picture Mike has of the first fish shows the spot really distinctly, much more like real life was. :z16
Some are more intense than others and some fish don't have it all, but it does seem to me to be something i'm noticing more and more, perhaps it is something to do with the season progressing?

Sandy
Title: Re: Blue spots?
Post by: Rob Brownfield on 30/06/2015 at 12:37: It's normal Sandy. Seen it on fish caught in New Zealand and the US as well as UK.

US fish:
(http://www.indigoguideservice.com/uploads/2010/03/brown-head_400.jpg)
(http://www.riverstonegallery.com/flyfishing_prints/images/madison_warrior_fs.jpg)

Patagonian fish with two?
(http://www.hatchmag.com/sites/default/files/styles/title-image/public/530f995738d30-PatagoniaBrownJPEG.jpg?itok=IsI0UHvO)

New Zealander with faint area
(http://www.fieldsportsmagazine.com/images/stories/eldorado2.jpg)

However, as to the cause...I did find this post...the last one...to be interesting and frustrating as I cannot find out anymore.
http://ukflydressing.proboards.com/thread/4032/trout-blue-spot-on-head
Title: Re: Blue spots?
Post by: Marc Fauvet on 30/06/2015 at 13:37: it's common, Sandy. some are more rounded than others but the blue splotch seems to be everywhere. (but it's not an always... )
interesting 'bigger eye' to scare off predators concept ! :z16
here's a few from here and there:

River Eden, England
(http://www.fishingthefly.co.uk/forum/gallery/1362-300615133323.jpeg) (http://www.fishingthefly.co.uk/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=2877)

Basque region - Pyrenees, France
(http://www.fishingthefly.co.uk/forum/gallery/1362-300615133420.jpeg) (http://www.fishingthefly.co.uk/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=2878)

Northern Sweden
(http://www.fishingthefly.co.uk/forum/gallery/1362-300615133534.jpeg) (http://www.fishingthefly.co.uk/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=2879)

Eastern Pyrenees, France
(http://www.fishingthefly.co.uk/forum/gallery/1362-300615133625.jpeg) (http://www.fishingthefly.co.uk/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=2880)
Title: Re: Blue spots?
Post by: Derek Roxborough on 30/06/2015 at 22:28: I will have to pay more attention , promise easgach 1
Title: Re: Blue spots?
Post by: Sandy Nelson on 01/07/2015 at 07:23: Thanks for the feedback :z18

Amazing how you can spend 30 years catching brownies and not notice this until one evening and then you keep noticing it on every other fish (almost) :X1
Funny the way your brain works, or perhaps its just mine :z4

Sandy
Title: Re: Blue spots?
Post by: Marc Fauvet on 01/07/2015 at 09:47: Quote from: Spiderman on 01/07/2015 at 07:23
Amazing how you can spend 30 years catching brownies and not notice this until one evening and then you keep noticing it on every other fish (almost) :X1
:z4 :z4 :z4

would still be interesting to know why the blue and why there. i'll send this thread over to a biologist buddy to see if he can add info.
cheers,
marc
Title: Re: Blue spots?
Post by: Derek Roxborough on 01/07/2015 at 15:28: Well, I noticed it this Morning on a small trout from a local loch , I have been fishing more than 50 years and have never noticed it before :X1 easgach 1
Title: Re: Blue spots?
Post by: Allan Liddle on 02/07/2015 at 22:10: Very common Sandy although not all troots have it as prominent than others, as a rule of thumb the more 'leopard' coloured the troot the more prominent it is.
Not just resigned to river troot as loch residents have it as well, although heavy peat stained waters and darker fish often mean it's harder to spot (not always)

Like the big eye theory btw :z16

And maybe because we spend more time takin troot photies we're noticing the blue spot more?
Title: Re: Blue spots?
Post by: Rob Brownfield on 03/07/2015 at 07:43: I can't see the big eye theory being quite on track, sorry. There are plenty of fish both large and small that have "false eyes" on there bodies, and it is always on the tail. Predators tend to strike the head end of a fish, so having a false eye on the tail means a better chance of survival/escape.

There are also a lot of fish that have a "flush" of colour on the gill plate. In some this is because of their diet adding pigmentation to the skin, others, as a form of attractant or warning to other fish. I am leaning towards the latter.

I think :)
Title: Re: Blue spots?
Post by: Marc Fauvet on 03/07/2015 at 10:57: Quote from: Dryflee on 02/07/2015 at 22:10
And maybe because we spend more time takin troot photies we're noticing the blue spot more?

:z16 :z16 :z16
Title: Re: Blue spots?
Post by: Sandy Nelson on 03/07/2015 at 11:45: This photo shows why i thought about the eye, not so much to confuse, just to make it look bigger

(http://i252.photobucket.com/albums/hh7/skuesapprentice/bluespot1.jpg) (http://s252.photobucket.com/user/skuesapprentice/media/bluespot1.jpg.html)

But you could be right Allan, the more you look, the more you see :z16

Sandy
Title: Re: Blue spots?
Post by: Marc Fauvet on 05/07/2015 at 09:57: kinda makes it look like a weird flounder... :z4 :z4 :z4
Title: Re: Blue spots?
Post by: Ewan Lindsay on 12/07/2015 at 15:01: Caught a couple of wild brownies on the Test last week. Both had the blue spots...never really noticed them before...

Ewan
Title: Re: Blue spots?
Post by: Marc Fauvet on 30/07/2015 at 18:03: Sandy, here's a very marked blue spot on a gorgeous indigenous Fario trout a friend just caught in France. :z16

(http://www.fishingthefly.co.uk/forum/gallery/1362-300715180329.jpeg) (http://www.fishingthefly.co.uk/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=3002)
Title: Re: Blue spots?
Post by: Liam Stephen on 30/07/2015 at 19:19: One from today. Report to follow. :z16

(http://www.fishingthefly.co.uk/forum/gallery/2193-300715191928.jpeg) (http://www.fishingthefly.co.uk/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=3005)
Title: Re: Blue spots?
Post by: Steven Sinclair on 01/08/2015 at 16:29: Quote from: Marc Fauvet on 30/07/2015 at 18:03
Sandy, here's a very marked blue spot on a gorgeous indigenous Fario trout a friend just caught in France. :z16

(http://www.fishingthefly.co.uk/forum/gallery/1362-300715180329.jpeg) (http://www.fishingthefly.co.uk/forum/index.php?action=gallery;sa=view&id=3002)

There's a trout in this picture? :X2

:z18

Steven.
Title: Re: Blue spots?
Post by: Marc Fauvet on 01/08/2015 at 17:12: yup, the trout's the yellowish thing.... :z4 :z7 :roll :z4
Title: Re: Blue spots?
Post by: Derek Roxborough on 01/08/2015 at 19:55: Yeah , now I see it, :z4 easgach 1