Trout markings

[tstooge26]

Hello everyone,

A buddy and me fished some small brookie streams this weekend and he caught a distinctivly dark brookie that I beleive we caught last year. The stream is relatively stort approx .5 mile long. I caught the fish in a similar location last year and the fish grew from last year(if same fish). I have pics from last year and I got my buddy on film catching it this year. I beleive the video is to big to upload.

I didnt know if trout have the same markings on both sides or not. If they are on the same side it was two differnt fish. If anyone has any info on the matter that would be great

 

[BrookieBuster101]

No is my answer. The fingerprint on your left forefinger is not the same as the print on your right fore finger.

Also as a side note I heard a story some time back of a guy (I cannot remember who, if I knew him or if it was on TV) that on a trip out west, he caught a massive brown from an undercut bank. On the one side it was light, like any other fish, but the other side was very dark. This is because fish's color pigments can change depending on environment.

 

[pcray1231]

The opposite sides are not mirror images of one another. That said, there usually are genetic similarities. For instance, the # of red and yellow spots varies between individuals, and the red spots are often placed in a pattern.

For instance, your fish has relatively few yellow spots, and a fair number of red spots arranged roughly in 2 horizontal lines. It is likely the opposite side will have a similar arrangement, but it won't be a perfect mirror image.

Very common to catch the same fish in the same spot in consecutive years on brookie streams, especially among the larger ones in the stream (i.e. the "boss" of the pool). And yeah, you can see how much it grew, and that growth rate will be fairly consistent in all of the streams residents (except for fish who may have migrated to the area). But I wouldn't be comfortable saying it is in fact the same fish based on "darkness", as that varies even within a season on a single fish. You kind of need good pictures of the spot pattern on the same side of the fish.

 

[Fishidiot]

As previous posters have pointed out, they're defintely not the same with respect to spots and markings. Trout spots are however unique. If you have two photos showing he same side of the fish, you can match the spots and prove with almost absolute certainty that it's the same fish. As Pcray, pointed out, it's common to catch the same fish more than once (sometimes even in the same day).

 

[Stone_Fly]

The fish pictured was likely caught in an area that had either been in deep shade, had a very dark bottom, or come from under a bank.

I dispute the claim that others have made that it's possible to catch the same trout year to year in the same spot. If the fish is lucky enough to make it through the next year, but show me the science. I would not want to say a photo is scientific evidence.

Any trout "smart enough" to make it through several years in a stream is likely to be moving around if for no other reason than for living space, bigger trout need bigger water or access to bigger water, and where you catch a fish in the spring isn't likely to be the same place you'll catch in the summer. It just doesn't work the way some would have you believe.

 

[stevehalupka]

it's nice to see reports of what seems to be thriving populations after last summer's drought.

thanks

 

[tstooge26]

The trout was not caught in the exact same hole but relativitly close. The stream is small and is broken up in thirds...there are two 5ft plus water falls breaking the stream up...the caugh in the picture and the fish I caught this year were both in the middle sections for the stream...this section is approx 200 yards long and I cant see the fish getting above or below the falls.

it is def possible that the color comes from the shade, the creek is small and has a lot of foolage but we never caught another dark trout out of that stream

 

[MKern]

On most of the dark shade-covered stream I fish the brookies are dark like this.

In the more open streams, with lighter bottoms, the fish are more grey.

I have noticed that Winter tends to enhanse these colors. i.e. in the Winter the dark fish get darker and the light fish get paler.

I personally don't think a fish can change it's color on a whim like a chameleon. I think it takes months if not generations.

 

[pcray1231]

I dispute the claim that others have made that it's possible to catch the same trout year to year in the same spot.

We've had this argument before. If you don't accept photo evidence that 2 fish are the same fish, then there's nothing I can do to prove it to you. But here goes anyway. These 2 (1) fish were caught in the same hole approx 5 months apart. The stream is primarily a brookie stream and you can step across it, this guy is a monster in one of the better holes. I would submit that these 2 are the same fish:

 

[pcray1231]

And the dark coloration isn't unusual. Yeah, tyically in deep shade, woody areas.

 

[pcray1231]

Nuther example of the same fish caught twice, same hole. This time separated by about a year.

 

[WildTigerTrout]

pcray 1231, yep same fish in both photos. I have done the same thing a few times. I have several photos like yours. One is a wild tiger trout I caught twice 51 weeks apart! It was 9 inches the first time and 11 inches the second. The markings are identical on both photos. The fish just looks more mature. The odds are long on catching a wild tiger. I wonder how long they are on catching the same wild tiger twice?

 

[PACOFRANSICO]

I've only caught 2 really dark wild trout.
The brown was off spring creek.

I don't know if it has any influence but both of the dark ones were caught this dec.

 

[pcray1231]

WildTiger,

I've also retrieved flies before. Last summer, one caught me on a log and broke me off. 2 days later I returned and caught it, with my fly still in its mouth. Rusted up and unusable, but thats pretty good proof, though that was only 2 days apart.

There was also a big fish I feel certain we caught twice and found a 3rd time. I caught it as a 10.5" wild brookie, a heck of a specimen and very unusual for the water. The next spring I sent my buddy into that hole, figuring there was a good chance it was still there. He hooks and lands a 12". I have a pic of him holding it, and he measured it against his rod, but it wiggled free and got away before I got the close up, but I feel certain it was the same fish. A few months later we went back after it, hoping to get the picture for proof. We failed, but when we gave up we kicked up under his overhang, and an abnormally big brookie bolted out. I got a picture of it holding in the water, but its not good enough to tell for sure. I feel fairly certain all 3 were the same fish, as that size is extremely rare in this water, though maybe not quite as rare as your wild tiger.

On that same stream, there was a hole with 2 large brown trout under a rock, and they were fairly widely known for 3-4 years. They'd stay under the rock all day and fall back to the tailout at night to feed. I think it was 2008 that hole turned over, and is now inhabited by brookies. Don't know what happened to the browns, either they died, moved, or were harvested.

There's also the case of the big brown in a short channelized limestoner here in Berks County. Half the board knows about him. Haven't checked on him this year, but he was found repeatedly, by several board members, under the same bush for no less than 18 months at least, and nobody has caught him to my knowledge. And this is a spot where it'd be VERY easy for a fish to move. I haven't had much luck in that stream, but there is one hole where I routinely catch a brookie or two, and at least 4 times its been the SAME brookie.

I also have a distinctive brookie in another little stream that I've caught at least 3 times from the same hole over the course of 2 seasons, but only have 1 good picture. His name is 3-spot, I posted his picture in another thread.

Sal, I know, followed a big brown or two in his travels. One I believe he found its winter stretch and its summer stretch, which I've seen before in fish too. Also, I believe Fishidiot and another member caught the same large brown in a SC limestoner, they discovered it was the same fish via pictures right here on this board. I don't know if it came from the same hole, though, but I do think it was the same general stretch and separated by a decent amount of time.

Many more stories as well. This is common stuff if you fish the same stream over again. Specially small streams.

 

[MattBoyer]

Actually Pat, FI, Squaretail and 3wt7x caught the same fish.

Boyer

 

[pcray1231]

my bad. So it was...

 

[FarmerDave]

Stone_Fly wrote:

I dispute the claim that others have made that it's possible to catch the same trout year to year in the same spot. If the fish is lucky enough to make it through the next year, but show me the science. I would not want to say a photo is scientific evidence.

Any trout "smart enough" to make it through several years in a stream is likely to be moving around if for no other reason than for living space, bigger trout need bigger water or access to bigger water, and where you catch a fish in the spring isn't likely to be the same place you'll catch in the summer. It just doesn't work the way some would have you believe.

OK Stone_Fly, now you got pcray all worked up over what?;-)

Anyway, please explain to me why it is not possible to catch the same trout, two years running. You certainly did not prove it in your statements above.

Unless trout don't live more than a year, or are never caught more than once in their lifetime, or are required to migrate to a different stream each year never to return, or nobody fished that same stream twice during a trout's life span, it is clearly statistically "possible" to catch the same fish two years in a row from the same relative location.

Normally I would say that that argument was stupid, but I think I know you so I will only say that it was just flawed.;-)

It certainly is possible. Maybe not very probable for most people, but certainly possible.

I don't know if I ever did it, but I never paid that close of attention, rarely took pictures, and changed streams a lot.

And for Pat’s second picture, that is clearly also the same fat hand.

 

[pcray1231]

hehe, all 5 are the same fat hand.

I've only gone as far as to notice it here and there. I'd really like to study it more than I do. I think you could learn a lot about fish behavior, growth rates in various streams, ages, etc.

But it'd require taking a picture of the same side of every single fish, and returning to the same stream time and time again to get a decent % of the fish in that stream in your "database" of fish. Neither of which have I been disciplined enough to do. I seem to be more of a fisherman that's interested in a little biology, as opposed to a biologist who's interested in a little fishing.

 

[WildTigerTrout]

The wild Tiger I caught in the same long pool 51 weeks apart. The first time I caught it at the head of the pool. The following year I caught it downstream about 100 to 120 feet. That trout did not move very far in what amounts to a year.

 

[PennKev]

Stone_Fly wrote:
....and where you catch a fish in the spring isn't likely to be the same place you'll catch in the summer. It just doesn't work the way some would have you believe.

So the streams you fish don't have any spots that hold fish year round? Mine certainly do! And yes, I'm certain I've caught the same fish multiple times from such spots. On that same note, I've seen or caught memorable fish from certain spots and then never see them again.

Saying fish don't move very far from their home area is just as valid as saying fish move around considerably IMO. I believe they can and will do both!

Kev