Another emotive subject....but i'm of the opinion that there should be no close season for Stocked Stillwater Brown Trout.

The reasons are as follows:- a large percentage of the fish stocked are triploid (sexless) so they will not loose condition, they will also not be able to reproduce, and are not as aggressive as they do not come into the (spawning) season. Also the number of fish in the water is depend upon the stocking policy of the fishery management and not the ability of the fish too breed

The process that makes a trout a triploid is not 100% effective i'm told and has around a 80% sucess rate, however if a cock or hen fish is caught that is badly out of condition, why not leave it to the descretion of the angler if it is too be killed. They've paid there money - let them make the choice.

The seasons have changed (global warming?) and most of the better quality brownies are now caught out of a season that I believe we don't need.

The problem is that brown trout do breed in waters around Britain. Whilst some may be triploid others are not. Two questions , would anglers know the difference between triploid and wild, and in some cases would they care!?? jim

I fish for stocked stillwater brown trout, but to be honest i'd rather we had a close season. Irrational i know, but i put browns on a bit of a pedestal (stocked or not) and look forward to the opening of the season (for me in April) the first cast at that big spottie is always very very special for me.

Ok i accept there are a few still waters where browns breed (Eyebrook for example) but my point was that the amount of fish in the water does not depend upoon the sucessfull breeding of any native fish, it's simply the stocking policy of the management.

However once a year around Christmas I fish Lechlade, Dever, or Avington the fishery rule at these fisheries is "No fish to be returned" this includes out of season browns.

So do you break the fishery rule with the chance of being banned, or worse still banned from all fisheries that are members of the Association of Still Water Game Fishery Managers (if that particular fishery is a member)

Or do you kill the brown and hope to avoid the wrath of the Environment Agency, with the possibility of being prosecuted?

On that note I'm not aware that anyone has ever been prosecuted for the offence of killing an out of season fish (that was stocked for sport purposes) and I doubt very much if they ever would.

Didn't they clip one of the fins on the Loch Leven stocked browns so they could be identified as wild or stocked or is that just a myth ?

Could it be that the increased popularity of Grayling fishing over the last few years means that far more truly wild brownies in rivers are getting caught within their closed season, effectively rendering the closed season useless in some places?

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I'm with you on this subject Jim!

Just wish they would stop the stocking of Triploid Brown Trout; especially in river systems where the wild fish breed naturally, it is possible that on some rivers a complete non-stocking-policy could be beneficial to the wild species and the angler.

Anyhow; there are lakes throughout the uk, where it is possible to fish all year round; stocked with Rainbow Trout, so really there is NO' closed season and if one fishes the river system, you can fish for those lovely ladies (Grayling) throughout the winter months!

We are spoiled for choice in the UK, basically there is no closed season for the dedicated angler, only the type and species of fish become seasonal.

I totally agree with you here Rob, there should be no reason for a closed season on stocked Stillwater's, rivers are a totally different story and the closed season should remain.

If such a ban was lifted on Stillwater's, it should then been down to the individual fishery to decide weather or not to allow brownies to be killed. This way fisheries like eyebrook can continue to insist that browns are returned safely.

I totally agree, regarding the comments made on wild fish....

I would never dream of killing a wild fish, they are magical, and if future generations are to enjoy the fishing that we have it depends on these fish breeding sucessfully.

But a stocked stillwater brown is just a trout to me, a wonderful fish - but no more special that a fully finned rainbow - with the sole purpose of being put in a water for sport

Anyway I still think we make the stocked brown out to be something its not....do we secretly wish that it was a wild fish - and that we've caught and not a stockie ?

Also when stocked only around 30% of browns ever get caught, compared to 65% of rainbows (because they stay deeper in the water i'm guessing) there also nearly twice the price to stock, and only grow slowly when compared to a rainbow.......wouldn't it be better if our reservoirs stocked more better quailty rainbows....that way if any browns were caught they would be resident or wild fish?

Saying that I'm in two minds because I love to see Big Browns chasing the fry, and it would be a shame if that ever stopped.....it's almost part of our heritage

Hmmmmmm ! !

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Hi Rob, the rule hass always been at Lechlade or Avington that out of season browns should be returned. Ditto chalk springs or any other small stillie i fish. I returned a close to double brownie to Lechlade a couple of weeks ago, and remember seeing a chap release a beautifully overwintered fish of about 14lb to there last year.

I stand corrected..... thanks for clearing that up...I think I'll give lechlade a try on jan 1st or 2nd

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