Appearance: a beautiful fish with a golden yellow-brown appearance, yellow belly and many black and red spots all over the body. As a member of the salmonid family, they possess an adipose fin (a small rounded fin located between the dorsal and tail fin along the back of the fish). Unlike the salmon the brown trout's jaw extends beyond the eye.
British record: 31lb 12oz (British record committee 2015)
Lateral line scale count: 110-120 (this is the dark row of scales along the central length of the fish's body)
Lifespan: 15 to 20 years
We like trout because: they are an aggressive predator and will take most live baits.
How to catch a trout
Whilst they will happily eat maggots and worms, trout, along with salmon, are known as game fish and for the purists, should only be caught with a fly. There is a considerable art and skill involved in fly fishing, using nothing more than a hook attached to your line. The hook is dressed usually with bits of feather and other materials as an imitation of shrimps, small fry, insects and other water invertebrates that make up the fish's natural diet. It is also an art to dress/tie your own hooks. The ultimate satisfaction and Holy Grail of fly fishing is convincing the ever wary and very clever fish that your hook is real prey/food, and then hooking, playing and landing the fish.
Where to catch a trout
River fisheries such as the River Severn and River Trent. Also found in some canals, like the Huddersfield Narrow, Montgomery, Swansea and Llangollen canals.
