No offense intended, but you can tell the difference between someone mishandling a fish and causing scale damage, and a heron causing scale damage, and a stick or stone in the water causing scale damage?? With all the hazards a fish faces in its life, I'm surprised you can pinpoint the hazard that caused the damage

You're right, I was only speculating that the fish was mishandled. The damage may have been caused by something else, regardless, due care should be taken when handling trout. That was the sole point of my previous comment.