Alright folks, its me first thread so gan easy on us!

Ive been fishing the River Browney in Co. Durham and after blanking many times i started to do some research and came across this very handy forum. After reading up on likely lies for fish and what I should be fishing and matching the hatch, etc... I started catching and imrpoving on size. after alot of time spent fishing the river I had come to the conclusion that there were no fish in the river over 5 inches long until I caught this little bad lad...


now getting to the point of this thread, how can you tell a stocked brown trout from a wild one? I thought this was very light in colour for a brownie and wondered if stocked fish where lighter in colour. i know that in some cases stocked browns have a blue dot on them but this one didnt have any tattoos of any description. The river runs into the River Wear if that helps in anyway for what type of water it is. im confuddled, any help would be grand.

Ross

It's difficult to tell, I'd like to see the dorsal and tail fins - were its fins thin and well formed or stubby and fatty (particularly dorsal, pectoral and slightly less importantly the tail fin)? On the point of its light colour - a brown trout can change colour very quickly to suit its surroundings and can display a permanent colour again to suit its surroundings. For example a brown trout may be silver in colour due to a light coloured bottom. Often, but not always, wild brown trout (especially in rivers, I don't know about lakes) have a white leading edge to their anal fin and less often their pelvic fins. Between this white edge and the rest of the fin is often a strip of black. Hope this helps.

Hi Ross,

Nice little fish. I'm not sure who would be stocking fish in the Browney - ask someone local who may know. If no one is putting fish in chances are it's wild.

There are some OK trout in that river (never caught them, but I've seen them) and there used to be grayling - and I've seen salmon ascending the Browney near to where it joins the Wear.

Always nice to hear about rivers I used to fish.....

cheers for the help fellas.
I have heard a rumour that a 4lb brown was caught by some bait fishers but how reliable it is im not too sure. Caught what i think was me first ever salmon smolt the other week but have yet to hook into a grayling. They still stock the river with grayling too but i think they must know im coming and flee the scene sharpish! Haha.
As far as large salmon go ive seen some hefty fish as far as langley park. I fish from below langley as far as molton. Im still learning the art of river fishing after getting fed up with stocked lakes and love the peaceful days spent along the browney, tried the free stretch in durham below the bowling alley but blanked and got put off by all the needles left on the bankside by the local smack heads! Be careful if fishing that stretch.

Hi ross,

First of all i would like to make a general comment on size of the fish in river (i do not know how you river looks like). If there is a habitat that can support a fish over 5``, you can be sure there is such fish. However, this does not mean, you shall see it. They shall be very shy, coming out to feed and are easily scared. Over here, we have waters that 99% of anglers shall say they are empty. The rare 1% is having fun on them catching big fish as well.... Sit down, sit still for an hour, do this on several occasions and you might see some surprises.

Regarding the fish in picture, the picture is not of best quality to make a judgment. However, there are several spots on fish, were slime seem murky and the fish seem as it was "rubbed". This is normaly a sign of stocked fish, or a sign of predator (some) attack (hucho for example can leave such marks, which you of course do not have in your water). On the other hand, it can be just water on your lens. But if fish was in such condition, there is a good chance it is a stockie.

BlueOne

Judging by its fins, especially the pec fin, I would say it is a stockie.

looks like a stock fish to me to,, But a decent one at that.....