Stomach sample over weekend

[PaulK]

Hello,

I fished a favorite Northeastern Pa stream over the weekend, as I've done for the last 15 years for Memorial Day weekend. Saturday afternoon, heavy rain raised the stream by 1.5'. Now, I can't conclude that these stomach contents are the result of a high water event, but I guess I'm leaning toward that. On Sunday at noon, when I was able to get back in the stream, I did very well, but unfortunately killed one trout with a #4 Rubber Legs I was using. I tried to revive it, but no luck. So I took him, but examined his stomach.

I'm really surprised by the contents. All larva and a spider. No mayfly nymphs or duns or spinners. No caddis pupa, no stoneflies.

I can only guess the pink/brown larva are Cranefly (1.25 to 1.5" long). The bright green one might be an inchworm. There's a classic dark green caddis larva. But check out the yellow larva,--the two identical little ones and the two identical big ones--and the lime green one. Who knows what the stomach juices did to the coloration, but they don't look too digested. Maybe they were cream to start. I guess my biggest question is, why did all these larva show up in the forefront of this trout's stomach? Was it the high water and/or some invertebrate drift overnight, in combination. I just question if I would have found these contents had the stream not flooded.

This has altered my ideas of what to fish after a heavy rain. Anyway, if anyone would like to try and identify these, please do.

 

[tomgamber]

the green and both yellows look like caddis to me...

 

[csoult]

Good stuff. Thanks!

 

[ryguyfi]

That's why the green weenie rules in high water!

 

[SBecker]

Butter worms!

 

[Biggie]

I'll second that the green weenie is killer in high water. I guess that's why those native brookies attack a GW........but I still can't figure out why the GW drives the trout on Clarks Creek crazy, including the natives when the water is low and clear.

 

[pcray1231]

Because of all the green inchworms hanging from the trees there maybe.

 

[Biggie]

Except that the chartruse green weenie doesn't look anything like the thin little inch worms dropping from the trees. If you use a fly tied up to look like the real ones, NOTHING. Put on the GW and bam.

 

[Chaz]

Good stuff! I'm always amazed at what's in the stomachs of trout. One guy in our fishing party years ago caught a 13 inch brookie that had a large hellbender in it's stomach.

 

[FarmerDave]

Chaz wrote:
Good stuff! I'm always amazed at what's in the stomachs of trout. One guy in our fishing party years ago caught a 13 inch brookie that had a large hellbender in it's stomach.

Wait a second...

13 inch brook trout...

"Large hellbender in it's stomach?"

Something isn't adding up.

Reminds me of the story Dad used to tell. Shot a sparrow with the 222 and blew a hole in it the size of his fist.

I can believe a small mudpuppy or very small hellbender in it's gut, but a large Hellbender? Don't Hellbenders get to be over 2 feet long?

I once caught a largemouth with a blackbird in it's gut. I didn't remove it. I could see a few feathers sticking out, and when I reached in and grabbed one and pulled, it was attached.;-)

I never caught a hellbender, but know what they are. I have however caught a couple of mudpuppies before.

 

[pcray1231]

Yes, an adult hellbender is approx. 24" long and weighs 3 to 5 lbs. So, umm, steelhead sized. So obviously a "large" one is incorrect. A juvenile hellbender, or a mudpuppy, which look similar but run a lot smaller.

Still quite a feat for a brookie.

 

[Swattie87]

Very cool post Paul. I think the contents of its stomach make sense with higher water flows...I do believe at those times trout attempt to gorge themselves on whatever gets washed into the stream or gets flushed out of the streambed, so a bunch of larva seem to fit. Most of these items would be taken subsurface too, which fits with the lack of surface activity you see during high water. I wouldn't have expected to see a bunch of duns or spinners in there.

I caught an exceptionally ugly stocker Brookie a few weeks ago that even after a short fight in 50 deg water, and clean hookup in the corner of the mouth rolled over when I went to release to him. After a minute or so of holding him in the current he swam off under his own power, but I was debating whether I should have kept him or not. It was early in my trip and I didn't want to carry him around all day, or take him back to the truck. If I did keep him I woulda done the same thing you did though...always interesting to find out what's in there.

Just out of curiosity would you be willing to share the species of trout?

 

[PaulK]

Good point,. The stream has only wild brown trout in it, with a very infrequent brookie. Once I caught a tiger trout. It's 99% wild browns and this was a 12" wild brown.

I'm really surprised the contents were almost all bare-naked larva, and many in pairs. Where are the nymphs and anything else? Granted it's only one stomach sample, but I wasn't expecting to see this kind of exclusivity.

I wish I could identify them. The pictures were taken minutes after gutting the fish, but I've had the contents in water since Sunday, only now in alcohol, and they are pretty deteriorated. The big bright yellow ones (1" long) impress me most, but who knows what their natural color is. I don't want to speculate too much, but I do notice how most of the larve don't have distinct, darker abdomens/heads, like the dark green caddis larva has. The yellow one's are just all yellow. The fat, pale lime green one has a little darker head. The main thing is, this is all that was packed in that trout's stomach.

My first thought the other day was, I have to start Euro nymphing following a good rain. It's all fun.

 

[Lonewolve]

PaulK,
Lil Yellow larva are probably chimarra {black caddis} larva, they were probably bright orange when they were crawling around on the stones/streambottom. the drab tannish larger ones i suspect are cranefly larva, the bright green ones are if they have claspers on the rear are Ryacophila larva{Green Caddis} the lil bright green one is defitely a caterpillar.
Green weenies work for at least two insects ....ryacophila larva, caterpillars.High water events always are the best times to fish a larva pattern, cranefly larva gets swept in from high water from the banks usually,and also theres a bit more water an that usually dislodges other invertebrates also.Really cool post . i have a stomach pump ..havent had the heart to use it yet,dont want to kill the trout an figure id booger it up when i used the darn thing.

Tight Wraps & Tight Lines
Rick Wallace

 

[wgmiller]

That fish was obviously eating some type of plant material as well... Who knew trout were herbivores as well as carnivores!

 

[Chaz]

I took a look at them and to me they all look lie caddis larve to me.
As for the hellbender I don't know how big it actually was in terms of inches, but it was large enough that the tail was stocking out of the mouth of the brookie. And a 13 inch brookie has a big appetite. It wasn;t a mud puppy.

 

[flytyingfred]

many years ago (before I became a fly fisherman). I was fishing on white deer creek with minnows and I caught a holdover brook trout with a strange looking thing sticking out of its mouth plus my minnow on the side. I put my pliers on it and pulled and out came a very large type of salamander. It was the most colorful one I had ever seen it was yellow with very bright spots. The thing was at least 7 inches long and the trout was at the most a foot long. the tail was sticking out its mouth about an inch or so. I dont know how it even hit my bait. The salamander was still whole and not digested at all yet. It was just one of the memorable moments in my lifetime of fishing experiences.

 

[Chaz]

Probably a long tailed salamander.

 

[Hook_Jaw]

In Penns have caught alot that have a crayfish hanging out of its mouth especialy when it's high

 

[krayfish]

someday, a trout will catch you and pump your stomach.