Difference between stocked and wild brown trout

davidk11811

I've often wondered what are the main differences between stocked and wild brown trout, appearance and taste.

okedoke

I don't know about taste but usually stocked trouts' fins and tail are worn around the edges, with blunt edges whereas wild trout have a sharply defined edge to their fins and tails. I would say as well that recently stocked trout tend to be flabby looking rather than lean and sleek like wild trout (usually) are.

okedoke

Rycn

Is it true that stocked brown trout have less defined spots as opposed to wild brownies?

Rycn

Stocked


Wild


I definitely see a difference here, the wild one looks alot cleaner or something

ironbluedun

The difference between wild and stocked is massive..............in fact you could nearly say they are different species!!! stocked trout do look totally different from wild fish, they do lack the spots and colouration of wild fish....stockies are artificially reared in ponds they lack any knowledge of a wild environment and thus do not know how to behave in wild waters...they are more suitable to 'put and take ponds' and we have a lot of those fisheries in Ireland now...the stocked trout lacking any ingrained knowledge of their environment are far more easily caught...wild trout are far more wily, selective and cautious in their approach, especially larger older trout…. catching one wild trout is worth ten stockies…it is a great skill to be able to catch larger wild trout continuously ……..but sadly these days due to increasing angling pressure, lack of education, pollution, predators, invasive species etc our native wild trout that have been here for many thousands of years are an increasingly scarce commodity and stocks of wild fish should be conserved at all costs….

coolwings

A fish that was reared in a pond or cage in close proximity to other fish will have bitten fins, that have re-grown back. The pectoral fins in particular tems to be malformed, scarred or have a "twist".

Their feeding tendencies are more surface oriented than wildies, and they are easier caught on flies than wildies. But if they are stocked young, as fry, this may not be noticeable.

Spot pattern will be different from the wild stock. But the wild trout have spot patterns uniqie to each water, some waters containing 2 or 3 races of wild trout. For example many mountain trout have fewer spots. The stockies are identifiable as "strangers".

davidk11811

Okay thanks lads.

shamwari

Rainbow trout have spots on the tail, brown trout don't.

ironbluedun

shamwari wrote: »

Rainbow trout have spots on the tail, brown trout don't.

some wild brown trout will have spots on the tail.......

fontanalis

ironbluedun wrote: »

The difference between wild and stocked is massive..............in fact you could nearly say they are different species!!! stocked trout do look totally different from wild fish, they do lack the spots and colouration of wild fish....stockies are artificially reared in ponds they lack any knowledge of a wild environment and thus do not know how to behave in wild waters...they are more suitable to 'put and take ponds' and we have a lot of those fisheries in Ireland now...the stocked trout lacking any ingrained knowledge of their environment are far more easily caught...wild trout are far more wily, selective and cautious in their approach, especially larger older trout…. catching one wild trout is worth ten stockies…it is a great skill to be able to catch larger wild trout continuously ……..but sadly these days due to increasing angling pressure, lack of education, pollution, predators, invasive species etc our native wild trout that have been here for many thousands of years are an increasingly scarce commodity and stocks of wild fish should be conserved at all costs….

You're right about different strains of trout and that should be something that's thought about when introducing stocked trout into a lake.
If fish are to be stocked then they should be sterile so as not to compromise the existing genetic pool that has had thousands of years to evolve.
In the US and now in England it has been found out that stocking trout doesn't necessarily help to increase fish numbers (apparently natural selections plays a massive role in spawning success and it's best to let wild trout get on with their own thing) and it's just a useful way to help increase anglers catches.

fontanalis

Rycn wrote: »

Stocked


Wild


I definitely see a difference here, the wild one looks alot cleaner or something

For a more accurate comparison it would be best to see a picture of a wild trout form the same lake as the stockie.

wgsten

fontanalis wrote: »

For a more accurate comparison it would be best to see a picture of a wild trout form the same lake as the stockie.

Here is two fish from the same lake. Note the tail of the stoched fish is rounded unlike the tail on the wild trout.

Wild Brown Trout


Stocked Brown Trout


wgsten
http://www.irishflyfisher.ie/

ironbluedun

fontanalis wrote: »

You're right about different strains of trout and that should be something that's thought about when introducing stocked trout into a lake.
If fish are to be stocked then they should be sterile so as not to compromise the existing genetic pool that has had thousands of years to evolve.

sadly not much thinking is done when those things are put into large limestone loughs....they do not spawn or interbreed with wild fish, in fact they don't know how to spawn...robots with fins, horrible disgusting things.... over the years i have heard some anglers saying that the wild trout will chase the stockies away from mouths of spawning streams and good feeding areas....leaving them as very free and easy fodder for large cute pike...putting them things into a large lough is a crazy waste of money....live bait for pike.... they have their place in stockie 'put and take' ponds/smaller lakes and that is fine no problem with that if that is what floats your boat fair enough...

davidk11811

I disagree, stocking lakes is a great idea. Although you are right about them being pike live bait, they should only really be stocked into lakes without pike.

ironbluedun

davidk11811 wrote: »

I disagree, stocking lakes is a great idea. Although you are right about them being pike live bait, they should only really be stocked into lakes without pike.

It depends upon what you mean by 'lakes' David... the stockies are little benefit to a large limestone lough....yes they are suited to smaller lakes and ponds and there they provide sport for the people who like to fish for them....but at least 90% of experienced trout lough trout fishermen dislike them and have little interest in them..........;)

fontanalis

ironbluedun wrote: »

sadly not much thinking is done when those things are put into large limestone loughs....they do not spawn or interbreed with wild fish, in fact they don't know how to spawn...robots with fins, horrible disgusting things.... over the years i have heard some anglers saying that the wild trout will chase the stockies away from mouths of spawning streams and good feeding areas....leaving them as very free and easy fodder for large cute pike...putting them things into a large lough is a crazy waste of money....live bait for pike.... they have their place in stockie 'put and take' ponds/smaller lakes and that is fine no problem with that if that is what floats your boat fair enough...

It may depend on the size/age of the fish put in, a small lake (peaty hill lough with small quarter to half pound trout ) controlled by a club I used to be a member off regularly would put a couple hundred brown trout off about 1 to 1 1/2 pound (I think these would be a year old) into the lake a few months before every season started. About 80% of these fish would be caught throughout the season but the holdovers developed into decent fish if you got the the following year.