[darren78]

I caught this the other night and there is a bit of speculation as to if it is a sea trout or brown trout. I am new to targeting brown trout so have a picture in my head of what a brown trout should look like that is why after landing this i thought it was a sea trout? If you compare pictures of my trout to brown trout pictures on the forum you can clearly see a difference. Any advice would be a great help like if it is a brown why is it more silverfish than the usual brown trout picture on here Thanks Darren.

 Here is the fish i caught



( edit = resize photo to message board size )

[Ben Dixon]

Difficult to tell from the picture conclusively.  I'd say it is a sea trout but I could be wrong, the only way to tell these things is by taking a scale sample.  I have caught a number of silvery brownies on the Don and also some very brown trouty looking ones, very difficult to tell without seeing the fish.

CHeers

Ben

[Iain Goolager]

C Trout

[Noel Kelly]

Iain dat's a pur frt m8.

I have had a look back through the pics on the don thread and I must agree it doesn't look like the brownies pictured.

[Jim Eddie]

See Troot 

 

Jim

[darren78]

Cheers Guys

Apologies for the picture quality i only had my camera phone to hand at the time? but like i said being new to this i thought it was obvious by looking that a sea trout is a sea trout and a brown a brown, I have so much to learn ???

Thanks again  Darren

[Richard Tong]

I agree with Ben;it can be difficult to tell what is what sometimes especially as the longer a Sea Trout spends in freshwater the more it can take on the appearance of a brownie. I have also caught brownies that are very silvery-on the Don and also on rivers that do not have a recognised run of Sea Trout. Look at this brownie caught April 2003 during a March Brown hatch. It had not rained for 6 weeks and we were under drought conditions(cloudless sky and bright sun when duped) so I doubt whether it was a Sea Trout (1)that early on in the season and (2)would it have run up in those conditions? It was caught during a massive hatch of MB's which had many large trout feeding at the surface and was rising regularly-it weighed 2lb 4oz and was 18". I have always had this down as a brownie. If you caught it in the evening at this time of year what would you put it down as?

Richard



Edit = resize photo from "Default" to "Message Board (640x480)" in the tinypic upload window.
This solves the side scroll bar issue when viewing posts ...... Cheers, Mike

[spencie]

Looks like a sea trout which is starting to colour up to me.

Stuart

[Piscator]

1st picture's a brown trout - Yellow belly (slightly) & halo around the spots which also form a pattern, 2nd picture's a sea trout kelt, sunken belly & you can see the vent, a fish 18" long should weigh 3 1/2 to 4 lb

[Pandion]

Definately a Sea Trout and very similar to those of the River Spey, of which I have had hundreds. Probably been in the river for 3 weeks.

[Iain Goolager]

Hi Piscator,
All the 'Sea-Trout' which I've caught and seen have those halo type markings around the spots. Not conclusive I agree but it's funny that all these silvery Trout have started to be caught in June and July (Richards thin fish excepted)- a period when you expect to see them running the river.

In June when playing my second 'Sea-Trout' of the season I was approached by a guy who typically fishes the Deveron but has a working knowledge of the Don extending back quite a few seasons. On the fishes second leap I was still trying to figure out if it was Brown or from the Sea when he said "Sea-Trout" 100% that's the typical Don Sea-Trout markings........................ perhaps he visits this forum and may comment.

Scale analysis would sort things out for sure but it'd be interesting to hear from anyone that has been targeting Sea-Trout in the Don for a couple of decades.

All interesting stuff  

Iain

[Iain Goolager]

Hi Pandion,

(fair handle that!)

of which I have had hundreds

perhaps you are the Sea-Trout fisherman of many decades that we've been looking for.

Iain

[Richard Tong]

Piscator,

a fish 18" long should weigh 3 1/2 to 4 lb

I have had many wild (brown)trout 18-19" and they are always weighed and measured accurately. None have been anywhere close to 3.5lb. My mate and I weigh any large trout and measure them too. The heaviest trout at 20" we have ever caught was 3lb 10oz,the lightest from memory at 20" was 3lb 2oz.

Shortest 3lb Trout was 19 1/4" (well 2lb 15.5oz) off Wharfe a few weeks ago.

Perhaps an 18" stockie could weigh these weights quoted,I would not know, but surely no wild fish. As for 4lb you are looking at 21"+,usually 22"+.

Shortest 5lb Trout  23" so again I cannot see a 19" fish weighing in at 4lb. Would like to fish where you do if they are...


Richard

[Mike Barrio]

I'm with Richard on the size/weight question

Best wishes
Mike

[Piscator]

Hi Richard

Ahhh, I was talking about inshes – they’re about 1.5 x your earth inches  – Yep agreed, had another look at a couple of seatrout/grilse pictures on my mobile & compared the size with my reel. I was looking at an 18” ruler which looks a lot bigger on my desk offshore than a fish the same length does in the great outdoors, stockies come in about the same weight for length I guess, not all are pigs with fins
Without actually seeing the fish, but from the picture alone & the detail that gives, would say your picture is definitely a well mended S/T kelt – The other picture could possibly be a S/T but with the description of the fish rising from Darren in the river don forum & the yellow colouring on the underside would put my pound on a brownie, when S/T colour up they tend to turn dark brown/grey, have also seen silvery brownies but they are nothing like the colouring of a S/T & more like Loch Leven trout
Would be interesting to know how it fought, sea trout are usually pegged as soon as hooked – lightening fast runs all over the pool & preference to leap & tail walk, brownie’s tend to fight in a more measured manner heading fast for snags & cover & don’t usually show themselves – I think this is because they know their surroundings well so head for known cover whilst a sea trout belts madly around the pool & leaps in an attempt to escape & may well be a tactic used whilst in the sea

Cheers

Stewart