In our article we want to talk about trout. Under the general name hides several varieties of salmon. We will talk specifically about brook trout.
Habitat
Brook trout lives in Western Europe, from the coast of Murmansk to the Mediterranean Sea, in mountain streams. It is found on the Balkan Peninsula, in Algeria, Morocco, Asia Minor. In Russia, it is found on the Kola Peninsula, in the basins of the Caspian, White, Baltic, Azov and Black Seas. But in the rivers of the Far East it is not.
Brook trout prefers streams and flat rivers with sandy or pebble soil, in which pure and cold water rich in oxygen flows.
Fish description
Brook trout, as we have said, belongs to the Salmon family. The length of her body is 25-55 centimeters, and the weight reaches two kilograms (it largely depends on the living conditions). At the age of twelve years, its mass can be 10-12 kilograms.
The fish has a thin elongated body, which is covered by small dense scales. Its color varies from dark brown to yellow; the back is usually dark or brownish-green; head of black color with golden gill covers; the belly is whitish. The whole body of the trout is usually dotted with lots of red and dark spots, which are bordered by light circles. Therefore, in many regions, fish is called pestle. Brook trout is never silver, unlike its relatives. In general, it should be noted that its color depends on the color of the soil and water, food, season, and many other factors.
Even the meat of fish living in different conditions has a different shade: white or pink.
Fish lifestyle
Mountain brook trout leads a sedentary lifestyle and does not make large migrations. After autumn and winter spawning, older individuals go to deep-sea areas, closer to spring springs, where they eat small fish all winter. Trout leaves its shelter only with the advent of spring, when muddy waters come into the river with flood. However, as soon as the first greens appear, the fish immediately occupy their summer places. Large individuals live alone, taking places near waterfalls, on steep banks, at the mouth of streams and rivers. Small trout prefers small rolls. She gathers in a flock and wanders all summer from one place to another. As a rule, they can be seen behind large stones or in bottom thickets, where the flow is small and small turbulences form.
Brook trout breeding
Trout reaches puberty by the third year of life. Fish spawns from November to December in shallow areas of the river, preferring a rocky or pebbly bottom and fast flow. Trout caviar is quite large (up to three millimeters in diameter), its fish are laid in special pits that the females dig out after fertilization. They bury it with vigorous tail movements. This spawning method protects the eggs from being eaten by other individuals. I must say that brook trout is not fertile.
Larvae are in the shelter all winter, they begin to hatch only with the advent of spring. For a long time they remain in the same place, eating the substances of their yolk sac. And only after four weeks they leave their home and begin to feed on insect larvae. At this point, the rapid growth of fish begins - in the first year of life, it reaches a length of ten centimeters.
Trout is characterized by rapid development, however, it depends on the living conditions. I must say that there is much more feed in a large river than in a small stream. In an environment where there is more food, fish grows faster and reaches large sizes.
In brooks there is little chance of meeting large individuals. But there are a lot of them in forest rivers, where there are a huge number of insects and small fish. If there are good conditions at the age of two, the fish can weigh up to half a kilogram. But in small ponds, even at the age of four, it barely reaches one hundred grams.
Fish food
The food for trout is small crustaceans, as well as insect larvae, small mollusks, fish, insects that have got into the water, tadpoles, even small mammals and frogs. Feeding occurs in the morning or in the evening, while the trout often jumps out of the reservoir for flying insects. Fish loves to eat caviar, even its own, if it is not well hidden.
Large individuals sin in that they can eat their own young. The trout receives a large amount of food during thunderstorms and winds, when due to bad weather there are a large number of all kinds of insects in the water. It is during such periods that fish are particularly active and swim near the surface. Apparently, for the same reason, trout prefers ponds with dense vegetation on the banks. In the summer heat, fish try to stay close to the keys. Not finding them, they can climb into burrows, falling into a thermal numbness, then they can be caught with bare hands. And at other times, they are very agile and resourceful, trying to go into cover at the slightest danger.
Russian fishing
Brook trout is a special fish. Therefore, it is also necessary to approach its fishing wisely. First of all, you need to determine where it is best caught. Do not rely on good fishing in quiet ponds. Fish does not like such places. It is best caught in bodies of water with intense currents, with whirlpools, where the waters are highly enriched with oxygen.
In winter, fish are more passive because their metabolic processes slow down. The ideal time for fishing is early spring, when the trout is already active, and the waters are clean and clear. But this period will not be long - just a couple of weeks.
