Information On the Venerable Trout

Few freshwater fish evoke as much attention as the venerable trout. From its high-flying leaps to its beautiful colorings to its tasty meat - many a fisherman has succumbed to the lure of the trout.

A big reason for the popularity of trout fishing is the voracious appetite of the fish. They are known to gobble up everything from small rodents, amphibians, reptiles, other fish, worms, larvae, and most every other kind of insect you can mention. Trout have even been found with cigarette butts and beer can pull-tabs in their bellies!

Trout also respond well to artificial bait. Thousands of different configurations of trout flies, spinners, jigs, stick bait, crank bait, and who knows what else have been made and fished successfully. If it looks like a bug or maybe a crippled small fish, a trout won't hesitate to try it for a meal.

Because they are not usually a large fish, fairly light fishing equipment is recommended. 4 to 8 pond test line should be sufficient for all but the biggest specimens.  Trout in rivers and streams will seldom get very large, (unless maybe you are fishing in Alaska), but lake trout can range up to 50 or 60 pounds.
 
The life span of a lake trout can last for decades while fish in streams won't often live more than 6 or 7 years.

There are several main species of trout in North America. Rainbow trout, brown tout, brook trout, lake trout, cutthroat trout and golden trout are the most popular.

Trout are native to North America, northern Asia and Europe. They have, of course, been introduced all over the world. Trout prefer cool, clear lakes and streams with water temperatures around 50 to 60 degrees Fahrenheit. Steelhead trout spend much of their lives in the ocean, returning to the stream of their birth to spawn.

The colorings of trout depend on their species and their natural surroundings. They will, to a point, blend in with the colors of their environment. Trout develop spots, mottled patterns, stripes and solid sections of color on their skin. Trout in the wild will exhibit more intense colorings than those raised domestically.

The different species of trout will have different markings naturally.  Rainbows have a beautiful reddish stripe down their sides and gills while the rest of them are a spotted grey-green color. Brown trout are, as can be expected mostly brown-grey and spotted, but do have some reddish-gold to their coloring.

Brook trout are also a brownish color with many red and yellow spots on their sides. They can be quite dramatic looking. Cutthroat trout are tan to yellowish looking with dark spots. They have bright red markings on their gills - hence the name cutthroat.

Lake trout are a greenish brown color with lighter spots and are generally larger than other types. As you might imagine, golden trout are a yellowish golden color, sometimes with darker speckles on their top side and tails.

Trout is a very good-tasting fish, which may explain its popularity. While it is a bony fish, the bones are fairly easy to remove once the fish has been cooked.
 
Trout are raised many places in trout farms. This is due to a demand for trout meat and also to replenish ponds and streams that have been over fished on a yearly basis. Fishing license fees are often used to pay for this restocking.