Brown Trout Color

Wild Chrome · 11-12-2008, 08:14 PM

Finally figured out how to downsize and upload photo's (I think). I'm curious about this brown I caught last month at East Lake (top photo). It is much more tan in color than every other brown I've ever caught there. The fish was the largest of my trip at 23-24 inches and put a great fight, with 3 missile-launch type jumps. Hit a black and green woolie bugger before dark. I almost thought it could be an Atlantic when I first saw the photo, but I'm pretty sure it's a brown. The second photo is a 25 inch brown from a few years ago i put in for comparison. Last photo is self-explanatory.

Is the top fish a female in spawning colors? Any ideas?

fenwick · 11-13-2008, 06:49 PM

male vs. female
time of year (spawning colors)
just a couple guesses
nice fish! i haven't been to east for a few years.

AndyK · 11-14-2008, 09:06 AM

There are variations in most trout colors.

Here is a reference for brown trout:
http://www.taxidermy.net/reference/fish/browntrt.html

JD77 · 11-14-2008, 09:49 AM

That would be my first guess (sex of fish). Second guess would be from a different stocking strain. Brown trout can look very different. Some Montana fish had the red spot, but I haven't found those fish here. Wickiup fish I've caught tend to have a lot of spots, some on the middle D have very few.

No matter what those are some cool looking trout! Good job.

Wild Chrome · 11-15-2008, 03:48 PM

Thanks for the info. I like the photos on that web page, AndyK. Guess my fish was just an oddball.