hi guys,being new to the sport i would appreciate a bit of guidance please.
i have just joined a stillwater syndicate lake and would like to know which size fish to keep and at which time of year would be best to do so.
all browns in the lake have to be returned and i aim only to take the occassional rainbow. is it best to take a large rainbow nearing the end of its life cycle or a smaller,younger fish ?
many thanks.

Most fish will be of a similar size and will be chapped on the head before they die of natural causes!
It depends what size fish are in the lake you are fishing but I would suggest a fish of around 2-3lb makes a good meal for 2 people. I wouldn't worry about what time of the year you take the fish
Chris

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the lake record is a 16lb rainbow.with many fish into double figures.


by the way i was very happy with the flys i ordered from you.

Thank you - I hope you put them to good use on your syndicate!

If you get a double figure fish then they can be smoked effectively

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Whatever the size try ( may be difficult in a small water )and take fish which show signs of having been in for some time , i.e . bright silver ,complete fins , preferably with a white edge to the fin ,and probably a bit longer and leaner than your average stockie . These fish will then have firmer flesh and be better eating . Avoid any fish showing signs of spawning , these will be caught in winter and spring and will show more colour , a kype if male , grey belly .
Larger fish are good for filleting .
Enjoy

Limited to 20 fish in a season, and really only wanting to eat the occasional trout, I tend to only knock on the head deep-hooked, or obviously weak fish.

The trouble with large stocked trout (I'm told) is that the development of their organs doesn't keep up with the lbs they put on, so in hot/low-water conditions they tend to keel over first.

During the summer, when the lake was extremely low and the fish obviously stressed I resisted fishing the syndicate water, but would have retained any larger fish caught if I'd had any concerns about its ability to recover.

I agree that the 2-3lb fish are best eating.

thanks leon,
hope to see you on the bank soon.

Check him when you catch him. always touch fish with wet hands but if he's a good shape, silver coloured and 'firm' to the touch, he'll probably be good eating. some of the best fish i've eaten were good size too, around 7lb. the doubles taste excellent smoked.

Avoid fish that fight poorly, have lots of missing scales, are flabby to the touch, and have anything other than a white belly.

Leon - if stuck for a solution to any biological conundrum concerning size or shape, the most reliable guess is "surface area to volume ratio" - and that would be mine for this one, specifically volume of body and surface area of gills.

I am really impressed that someone somewhere has imparted that information to you!
Large stock fish grown on in farm, do not grow heart an kidney functions exponetially to their weight, when compared to smaller stocked fish that grow on in wild, therefore they do tend to stress out quicker in a caught situation!
Kill size really is up to you, but you have to weigh up the survival chances of the bigger fish if you intend to realease them, especially in warmer water temperatures.
regards
bert