# Trout a few questions



## Float (Mar 8, 2009)

As the title suggests I have a few questions regarding trout. We have a local lake that has been stocked with brown trout not quite 2 years ago. Now these fish have reached about 45 cm and the females are full of roe. The question I have is can they get rid of their eggs without running water and if they can't will it eventually kill them? If so what sort of life expectancy do they have? The lake does have a creek that feeds it but unless we get some more serious rain it probably won't flow and if it does it might only do so for a few weeks.


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## yaker (Aug 29, 2005)

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## crag (Nov 8, 2010)

I think yaker is pretty much on the money Float, gravel bottom,water flow,oxygen levels and temp. From what I can remember of what I was told of the Lake Wallace fish, they absorb the eggs and you can halve the life span, bit vague with the memory though. Never heard of anything breeding at Wallace, was always stocked each year, and its very similar to your lake, though bigger, deeper, and some iron stone gravel. Ya might as well start eating afew,cheers, Craig


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## Scott (Aug 29, 2005)

From what i have been lead to believe both of the previous replies are on the money. Smaller trout are far more competitive for food than larger trout. Most trout at least here in Tassie don't die from old age, they just struggle to compete for enough food to survive. If food isn't a problem in your dam or the total fish numbers are small enough, some real trophies may end up coming out of it in the future. Keeping a few for the table will reduce the total amount of fish which should in turn increase the average size. This is the way fisheries manage most trout lakes/dams in Tassie some of which have a 12 fish a day bag limit to keep the numbers down.


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## Musty (Oct 12, 2010)

The trout will still go about their normal actions, they will go off feeding, attempt to breed, males will follow females around the shallows looking for gravel beds, females will release eggs, males will fertilise them, that's where it ends. Nothing will come of it without running water.
At my local trout dam they have been in spawning mode the past 2 months, the females are full of roe unless already released and the males (of which most caught tend to be) are dribbling milky white you know what out of their rear ends.
Its a shame really, I would love to think that the dam would be self sustaining but unfortunately not. A great species trout.

Musty


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## Float (Mar 8, 2009)

Thanks for the replies guys it good to know these fish will survive even if they don't have access running water. 
Kept a couple I caught Friday after work and smoked them very nice.












Scott said:


> If food isn't a problem in your dam or the total fish numbers are small enough, some real trophies may end up coming out of it in the future.


What size would you consider a trophy fish and how big can they get? They seem to have plenty of food as every one I have kept has a full stomach.


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## solatree (May 30, 2008)

Lovely pair of fish Michael - smoked trout - yum


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## Scott (Aug 29, 2005)

Float said:


> Scott said:
> 
> 
> > If food isn't a problem in your dam or the total fish numbers are small enough, some real trophies may end up coming out of it in the future.
> ...


Mate, trout down here in waters where they can get enough food (generally below fish farms or special waterways like the Tyenna) can and do grow in excess of 20 pounds.


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## bildad (Jun 20, 2011)

Those fish are in great condition.
As for Trophy fish I would say 10lb is the bench mark for trout.
But this 27+ pounder from Tassie would be hard to beat.
http://www.tacklebox.com.au/forums/fish ... out-3.html


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## Levi (Nov 24, 2008)

Nice fish mate! They are in lovely condition, and great when smoked!! Yum!

If you are taking them in spawning time you can make good use of the eggs, we made some great trout caviar with a recent catch, its a pretty easy task to brine it up and make some good use from it, tasty too!!! 
Can give you a basic recipe for it if you like?


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## 62woollybugger (Oct 16, 2009)

From doing a bit of Google research, it seems that Brown trout can reabsorb unlaid eggs, but not rainbows. If the rainbows can't spawn they will die after two years, as the eggs rot inside them. I remember seeing something about this on a fishing show some years back. They were manually stripping the eggs from the fish before they released them.

Levi, I would love your recipe for the trout caviar. I wasn't sure if you could eat trout roe, so I have always thrown it away  I caught one large rainbow up at TCD a couple of weeks ago that would have had at least 1/2 litre of eggs in her.


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## Levi (Nov 24, 2008)

Here you go woollybugger--> basic, easy, reduces the waste... and best of all TASTY!!

Clean fish gently, DON'T REMOVE THE EGGS FROM THE SKEIN/MEMBRANE SAC!

Mix around 1/3 cup of salt into 4 cups of cold water, dissolve this salt into the water. Soak the roe sacs for 20-30mins in the salt water in the fridge.

Prepare a bowl of iced water

Run the kitchen sink tap at a quite hot, kind of just so hot as you can just bare putting your hand under it. Lay a fine mesh colander under tap, hold the egg sac (one at time) under the hot water running from the tap. The hot water will make the membrane shrink back and the eggs will fall into the colander..... it takes a bit of time to get the feel for this, but it's easier than it sounds, just be gentle enough not to break eggs, but not too soft, repeat with the other sac. This should only take a few minutes each, even with big sacs. Dunk the eggs into a bowl of ice water (i used fresh, though i have hear you can you brine, i recommend the fresh), leave here for 3-5mins to bring temp back down.

Return the eggs to your salty water (brine) back in the fridge for a further 20mins or so. Gently drain the water over a clean fine sieve colander, let them drain well for 15mins, i also wiped the bottom with paper towel to draw out the last moisture. Whack them in very clean glass jars (the old moccona coffee jars are spot on, and fridge them. Mine lasted about 3 weeks or so easily. got a thumbs up from all who tasted them!

Let me know how you go!


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## Brez (Mar 2, 2012)

im lead to believe by those more in the know than myself that the eggs need to be anchored in the flow of well oxygenated water to hatch . not necessarily in gravel , but that gives them the best chance of hatching .



Scott said:


> Smaller trout are far more competitive for food than larger trout. Most trout at least here in Tassie don't die from old age, they just struggle to compete for enough food to survive. .


Scott i found that very intriguing . i have a small rainbow trout stream i like to fish during winter ( not closed ) a fish over 50cm is rare but there were alot of small fish seen last year ( and none so far this winter) . there also doesnt appear to be much in the way of food for them so your point would seem to explain whats going on there .


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## Float (Mar 8, 2009)

Hey Levi thanks for the caviar recipe, never tried it but if I catch another one I will give it a go



Scott said:


> Mate, trout down here in waters where they can get enough food (generally below fish farms or special waterways like the Tyenna) can and do grow in excess of 20 pounds.





bildad said:


> As for Trophy fish I would say 10lb is the bench mark for trout.
> But this 27+ pounder from Tassie would be hard to beat.
> http://www.tacklebox.com.au/forums/fish ... out-3.html


Wow I hope the lake stays full enough for long enough to see some fish this size.


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## Scott (Aug 29, 2005)

Why do you think the females are dying Digger?


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## Scott (Aug 29, 2005)

Mate i thought it may have been a spawning thing when you said after two years. Have you tried browns as they apparently can reabsorb their eggs.


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## Scott (Aug 29, 2005)

Hi mate, i know a guy down here that is a marine biologist with one of the salmon farms, i see what he has to say. I have caught landlocked browns over 2 years old down here from stocked dams so it must be possible.


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## Zilch (Oct 10, 2011)

Whilst I am a member of safwaa (South Australian Fresh Water Anglers Association) and we stock trout (Murray cod; Catfish; Golden & Silver Perch) into private dams, that club members can access, I would say the foremost advice you could get would be from saffa (South Australian Fly Fishers Association). They stock private dams as we do but also have a permit to stock several S.A. rivers.

http://www.saflyfishers.asn.au/

Any trout that can not breed will eventually die. From the little I know, normally 3 years may be 4 if you are lucky.

Club (safwaa) caught dam Brown Trout









S.A. public river stocked by South Australian Fly Fishers Association (saffaa)









Steve


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## Zilch (Oct 10, 2011)

Digger said:


> Thanks Steve but the problem I have here is supply proximity as the oxygen capacity of the plastic bags fish travel in is limited and we are too far from the sources that I am aware of for the fish to survive. Dig


I think trout are more susceptible to this, our trout are ever bought locally (from South Australian Fly Fishers Association who have their own hatchery) or from Victoria were a club member will take our club trailer that is fitted with a IBC and a oxygen supply.

If you click on the photo to enlarge you will see the the hoses etc that supply the oxygen to aerate the water.











Digger said:


> Also, I first stocked the dam with Yellowbelly many years ago and they have proven to be very durable and so natives would be my first choice of any fish. Dig


Digger our Yellowbelly also do extremely well in our dams, note we do not stock trout in any of our dams that have Yellowbellies in, to the best of my knowledge. Yellows are very aggressive and will take the trout fingerling but we may put a couple of Silver Perch in with the Trout. I believe we get our Yellowbellies from N.S.W. and they are sent in plastic bags with the water fully saturated with oxygen prior to road transport to S.A. A member will be at the transport yard and collect them and stock our dams asap.










Steve


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