Brown Trout

(Salmo Trutta)

Brown trout naturally occur throughout Europe and Western Asia. They range from Finland South to North Africa, West to Iceland and as far East as Afghanistan.

Brown trout get their name from the brown or golden brown hue on their bodies. Their sides are silvery or yellow, their bellies are white or yellowish. Dark spots, sometimes encircled by a pale halo, are plentiful on the back and sides. Rusty red spots also occur on the sides. The small adipose (or fatty) fin in front of the tail has a reddish hue.

Apart from moving upstream to spawn, adults tend to stay in the same place in both river and still water with very little movement to other areas. They can be found in the same position day after day and even year after year! The Brown Trout's closest relative is the Atlantic Salmon (Salmo salar). The Brown Trout's name (salmo trutta) means salmon trout.

There has been some effort made to introduce Brown Trout to other parts of the world as they have the ability to tolerate higher water temperatures than some other species. This has only had limited success as they are more wily and difficult to catch.