Fishing Wales: Lifecycle - Fishing Visit Wales

Fishing Wales, Environment Agency Wales and Wales Tourist Board providing detailed information to all who want to go fishing in Wales, Game, sea, coarse, carp angling in Wales. Tides, Tidal information for Wales, Weather, river levels, flies, baits for fishing, where to fish, where to stay, where to eat. Holiday angling in Wales. Charter Boats, angling clubs, private fisheries. Rivers, the Sea, lakes, reservoirs, canals, Fishing Guiding and Tuition
Skip to Main Content

The vital statistics of the Brown Trout

The Brown Trout (Salmo trutta)

Family: SALMONIDAE
Genus: Salmo
Species: trutta

British rod caught record: 25 lb 5 oz (14.43 kg), Loch Awe, Scotland 1996

Range (Great Britain)

Indigenous, widespread and abundant.

Habitat

Upland or lowland streams, rivers, pools and lakes which are cool, clean, reasonably high in oxygen and which have access to suitable spawning grounds. Physical cover such as over hanging bank sides and vegetation are important habitat requirements.

Biology

Needs relatively silt-free gravels for spawning which usually takes place from mid-October to December in small streams or lake shallows. Eggs hatch after several weeks. Growth is variable depending on the locality, and maturity is reached between two and three years when they measure 15 to 20cm in length.

Identification

Colour is extremely variable although the shape remains constant. Generally brownish or greenish with a darker back and paler belly. There are many black spots on the head and belly and also some red spots which are usually circled with blue. The lower jaw is long, reaching past the rear edge of the eye and in old males it is often hooked. The adipose fin is usually orange and there are almost always more than three black spots on the operculum (gill cover).