Brown Trout Salmo trutta Fly Fishing

The Brown Trout or salmon trutta inhabits rivers, lakes, lochs and reservoirs. It was originally a European species of salmonid fish which is found in freshwater. The Brown Trout, Salmon trutta morpha fario and Salmo trutta morpha lacustris are known as the sea trout which migrates to saltwater and only returns to fresh water to breed.

The native brown trout extends from Norway to Russia, from Iceland to Afghanistan and Pakistan. They have been taken out and colonised throughout the world, starting with in 1866 when the saling ship took eggs to Australia where they hatched and 171 brown trout were released into the River Plenty In Tasmania.

The Brown Trout can grown to 44lb (20kg) . Larger fish will be found in lakes and reservoirs however smaller  fish in rivers are typically 2 to 3lb in weight. They can live for 20 years, however males often die after spawning. Because they eat insect larvae including baetis nymphs and caddis nymphs plus invertebrates, fish and even mice or birds they are a regular target species for the fly fisherman. Because their diet changes as they grown brown trout often change from smaller eating insects and invertebrates to eating fish as they get larger. Indeed the team have caught larger brown trout on buzzers but flies like the JC Cats Whisker has proved deadly as it looks reeally fishy with the Jungle Cock looking like fry eyes and we have caught far more big Brown Trout on flies that look like fry, ranging from small size 10 JC Cats Straggle to large size 2/0 crab patterns that are also goo frog imitation flies.

Fishing for Brown Trout

The Brown Trout will frequently be found around the margins of reservoirs and lakes and at the edge of rivers where fry congregate. Indeed you will see 3 of more large Brown Trout attacking shoals of fry ramming them at the edge of the water and then swooping back into the stunned fry. To catch personal best size Brownies use Skulpin fly patterns first thing in the morning or last thing at night as this is when the large Brownies are often hitting larger fish.