In the 1880s, brown trout
eggs were brought into this country from Europe. By the 1920s,
wild populations began to thrive. The brown trout has a sleek
olive-brown body tinted with gold. Upper sides are dotted with black and
sprinkled with blue haloed red and orange spots. The tail is slightly
forked in young fish and square in older trout. The tail is
yellowish-brown and may have indistinct spots near its border.
The brown trout is a
predator that eats fish as well as insects. Larger trout have even
occasionally eaten frogs, birds, and mice. It forages on mayflies,
caddisflies, and stoneflies so it is a favorite of fly fishermen. It
prefers water temperatures between 54.3-63.6F. It is very active at
night. Despite heavy fishing pressure, browns continue to thrive and
reproduce naturally.
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