Brown Trout Fishing
Brown trout fishing can be a rewarding, albeit frustrating, venture. These fish are much more elusive than other species so you cannot just cast out any type of fishing bait at any time and expect one to strike right away. Knowing the characteristics of brown trout will make fishing for them less of a challenge.
Browns have dark spots on their bodies that are against a lighter colored background. Many are located in the Western, Midwestern, and Eastern regions of the United States. They are widespread throughout the world and are also found in New Zealand, Africa, and Europe, among other places. Tiger trout are a hybrid species that occurs when a brown and a brook are crossed. Instead of circular spots, tigers have tiger-like marks on their bodies, hence their name. While browns are the hardest trout species to catch, tiger trout are a little easier to catch.
Spawning occurs in autumn for browns. The water temperature must be at least as cold as the mid-40 degree mark in order for spawning to properly occur; their eggs will hatch the following spring. Most of the time, however, browns prefer fairly warm water. A temperature of 65 degrees suits browns just fine, and they can even tolerate water as warm as 75 degrees.
There are several reasons why brown trout are so difficult to find and catch, and they have to do with their feeding habits. Browns feed at night, and are hidden away during the day in secluded areas. When they do eat, they do not go out into open areas like other fish do. Plus, they stay in one particular spot to eat instead of swimming around chasing a meal. When you decide to try to land one of these elusive fish, your choice of trout lures is important. Small browns go mainly for aquatic insects, so make sure the flies you are using mimic mayflies or caddis. Larger brown trout are slightly more versatile in their eating habits and will eat crayfish, as well as other fish. They may also have cannibalistic tendencies.