I've noticed that some of the trout that I've caught recently have tasted earthy or muddy after being cooked. Some of the fish has been eaten fresh, the other after being frozen and cooked in a variety of different ways.

All the trout came from the a clear stillwater and I'm wondering if there is anything I can do to overcome the earthy/muddy taste.

As part of a meal, trout isn't a particular favourite of mine but after paying over £30 for a few hours fishing and without being able to 'catch and release' my fish, I do feel that what I take home to eat should at least be edible

Any ideas guys and girls? Perhaps I should move to another water?

I dont eat trout at all now but when i had the odd one i had caught they all tasted like that, very bland and earthy, i dont think i have ever heard anyone rave about the taste of rainbow trout

Always been told wild browns are nice eating but ive never killed one to find out, i will stick to sea fish

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[B][COLOR="Black"]"Bang Tidy"
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I find that freshly stocked trout taste as you say.Probably because they are grown in tanks and fed on pellets.Wild trout do not have this taste due to natural feeding. Just my opinion!

I think trout are like any other animal- if they are reared intensively, and in the case of trout, killed before they have a chance to naturalise they will be poor eating. I have a C&R ticket on the AW reservoirs and only eat ovewintered or well mended fish.Apart from flavour the texture is so much better than stockfish, firm with well defined flakes.You always know within seconds when a overwintered fish is hooked- my maxim is that if it fights every inch to the net it will be worth eating.Some recipes for coarse fish recommend soaking in brine or vinegar solutions to remove muddy flavours.I have yet to eat a small water fish I've enjoyed, and if you're not keen on trout anyway why bother?

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Behold the fisherman
He riseth up early and disturbeth the whole household.
MIGHTY ARE HIS PREPARATIONS!
He goeth forth full of hope and when the day is far spent he returneth
Smelling of strong drink, and the truth is not in him

You should buy a smoker and it'll bring a totally diferent taste to trout......

i smoked 3 this weekend(which i caught on friday)...2 smoked with normal wood chips....the other smoked with wood chips soaked in whisky for a few hours.......but u have to salt them overnight to get the excess water from them before you smoke them.....

The trout smoked in whisky chips was one of the best i've ever tasted.....



In answer to your question......BUY A SMOKER!

Try this.
Gut and gill the trout...Season then wrap it in newspaper then soak the newspaper with tap water...
Now place the 'package' into a hot oven.
As soon as the newspaper is dry, remove from the oven.
Now remove the trout and throw it away... eat the newspaper.. it tastes better!!

More seriously, I now have my trout smoked.. try it.

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Before you cast the fly, make sure you can handle the fish! Vuoi imbrogliare? Poi Non competere! (If you want to cheat, then dont compete)

Quality fish make good smoked fish.C**p fish make c**p smoked fish.

__________________
Behold the fisherman
He riseth up early and disturbeth the whole household.
MIGHTY ARE HIS PREPARATIONS!
He goeth forth full of hope and when the day is far spent he returneth
Smelling of strong drink, and the truth is not in him

I once gave a trout to a friend and she said it tasted like potato peelings - a very apt description - whether they're stock fish or not!

The best way to eat them is to smoke them first - but only to disguise the taste.

Salting them overnight helps but doesn't get rid of the earthy taste altogether - you'd be better off finding a Catch & Release water. You don't want to be paying a lot of money to catch unpalatable fish.

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How poor a thing, sometimes I find,
Will captivate a greedy mind - Isaac Walton.

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*****©(

If it was me I'd move to another water, Rich.

It is noticeable that the best eating fish I catch come from Avon Springs fishery, where the fish are kept pre-stocking in running water stews, and not pushed too hard on pellet feed. Consequently they are fit when stocked and quickly get on to natural food.

Holbury fish, and those from Sutton Bingham and Farmoor reservoirs, generally aren't far behind (but see comment below).

Does seem to me that this earthy taste in the fish somewhat comes and goes at fisheries, and as far as I am concerned the jury is out on the reasons. A couple of seasons ago I caught an astonishing, glittering, full finned and grown on, near 4 pound raindow at Farmoor; far from being good to eat, it was disappointing and earthy !

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"In wine there is wisdom. In beer there is strength. In water there is bacteria." - German proverb
JH based near Southampton

Thanks for your replies. I think the water quality would have a lot to do with the muddy taste and I also think that 'geosmin' in the water is probably responsible. Of course, only by testing the water would it be possible to know for definate.

I've been cooking fish (including trout) for over 30 years and have come across this before but only in trout from stillwaters. I am going to try fishing a couple of different stillwaters to see if the trout taste any better. As I've already mentioned, I'm not especially fond of trout for the table, but, I feel strongly that after paying a substantial amount of money for the privelege of taking a few fish for the pot, they should at the very least be palatable.

John, I'd love to try Avon Springs sometime but it's a fair way to travel for a days fishing. Lakedown is nearer so I'll probably try there next
BTW, whereabouts are you in So'ton? I used to live nr Romsey.