ARmy Rumour SErvice

**2/51** · 18-06-2012, 13:35

What do you need to know?

Habitat sounds ideal except a water fall and a 6 foot jump will not keep them in your stretch for long. The angling association I am in has stopped stocking brownies as they are very adapt to moving vast distances, especially during spawning time or high water. We have a place called The Falls of Feugh where the fish have to swim up over a fall and malestom of water...but they manage. No idea how. Insteasd, the association has improved spawning habitat and the river has never been so good.

The good thing about your stretch though, is that if its a good habitat, then there is no need for them to move away. By adding "fly boards" into the water you can encourage greater fly life and thus food into the stream.

Remember, you need permission to stock. If in England, the Environmental Agency needs contacting. If in Scotland, SEPA.

Good thing about Brown Trout is that they will breed if the water is suitable, so once stocked, even if you do lose a few up and down stream, they will replace themselves given time.

A good friend of mine has recently started stocking his fishery purely with Brown Trout, and the fishing has been fantastic. They are harder to catch than Rainbows, look fantastic and love taking flies off the top

Don't forget, some Brownies will decide they want to run to sea and will change into Sea Trout and run downstream. Good news is they will be back in 1-5 years much bigger and fitter!

Lastly, remember, Brown Trout are nomadic...so you will lose a few..but they will come back.

**bigeye** · 18-06-2012, 13:47

Originally Posted by 2/51

What do you need to know?

Habitat sounds ideal except a water fall and a 6 foot jump will not keep them in your stretch for long. The angling association I am in has stopped stocking brownies as they are very adapt to moving vast distances, especially during spawning time or high water. We have a place called The Falls of Feugh where the fish have to swim up over a fall and malestom of water...but they manage. No idea how. Insteasd, the association has improved spawning habitat and the river has never been so good.

The good thing about your stretch though, is that if its a good habitat, then there is no need for them to move away. By adding "fly boards" into the water you can encourage greater fly life and thus food into the stream.

Remember, you need permission to stock. If in England, the Environmental Agency needs contacting. If in Scotland, SEPA.

Good thing about Brown Trout is that they will breed if the water is suitable, so once stocked, even if you do lose a few up and down stream, they will replace themselves given time.

A good friend of mine has recently started stocking his fishery purely with Brown Trout, and the fishing has been fantastic. They are harder to catch than Rainbows, look fantastic and love taking flies off the top

Don't forget, some Brownies will decide they want to run to sea and will change into Sea Trout and run downstream. Good news is they will be back in 1-5 years much bigger and fitter!

Lastly, remember, Brown Trout are nomadic...so you will lose a few..but they will come back.

Thanks for that. They have no chance of working up stream as the monk has a lid and bars to keep branches out. Down stream is another matter - but as you stated hopefully they'll spawn in our stretch.

I tried googling 'fly boards' but to no avail - what are they please?

**overopensights** · 18-06-2012, 20:00

Originally Posted by bigeye

I have a 200 yard stretch of Wiltshire stream fed by a large mill pond (not mine). Apart from a large Ox-Bow pond (which is still fed by the stream) the minimum width of the stream is 6' and the maximum 12'. The maximum depth is about 1' - a shade more at rock pools possibly.

The water is clean, fast flowing and currently supports a fair number of crayfish, unfortunately the pesky signal variety. Apart from the odd heron, the only predators of note capable of taking yearling trare Mink (courtesy of the ALF) and allegedly Otter, although I would happily feed them all the trout they wanted.

Does anyone have experience of keeping trout - pitfalls or tips etc? Although we have had a couple in the past I assume they fell down the monk from the stocked mill pond - I've not bothered with them in any large numbers.

The Rivers Authority are the people to speak to on this. I have a river at the back of my house and have in the past spoken with them about the trout in the river. You can add the wrong type of trout into the river population, and this apparently causes havoc, like the cat among the pidgeons.

**cloudbuster** · 18-06-2012, 20:09

Best of luck, and don't forget to let VM and I know a. how you get on, and b. WTF your stream is!

**thegimp** · 18-06-2012, 20:26

very jealous, good luck with the project

**chocolate_frog** · 18-06-2012, 20:32

Originally Posted by 2/51

What do you need to know?

Habitat sounds ideal except a water fall and a 6 foot jump will not keep them in your stretch for long. The angling association I am in has stopped stocking brownies as they are very adapt to moving vast distances, especially during spawning time or high water. We have a place called The Falls of Feugh where the fish have to swim up over a fall and malestom of water...but they manage. No idea how. Insteasd, the association has improved spawning habitat and the river has never been so good.

The good thing about your stretch though, is that if its a good habitat, then there is no need for them to move away. By adding "fly boards" into the water you can encourage greater fly life and thus food into the stream.

Remember, you need permission to stock. If in England, the Environmental Agency needs contacting. If in Scotland, SEPA.

Good thing about Brown Trout is that they will breed if the water is suitable, so once stocked, even if you do lose a few up and down stream, they will replace themselves given time.

A good friend of mine has recently started stocking his fishery purely with Brown Trout, and the fishing has been fantastic. They are harder to catch than Rainbows, look fantastic and love taking flies off the top

Don't forget, some Brownies will decide they want to run to sea and will change into Sea Trout and run downstream. Good news is they will be back in 1-5 years much bigger and fitter!

Lastly, remember, Brown Trout are nomadic...so you will lose a few..but they will come back.

Could you put little collars on them to keep them in your stretch of water? They could all be attached to 'running lines' of some sort... also makes landing the little blighters easier.