Respecting Trout

I've been holding back this post for weeks, no months, trying to stop myself writing an out and out rant. Hopefully, what follows is contructive comment open for all to debate!

Everywhere I look, magazines, forums, ezines you name it, the term "stockie" is used to describe recently introduced trout. Usually their is a derogatory slant in the sentence or paragraph surrounding the term. Why? Well in excess of 50% of trout fishing available in the UK is for trout originating from a hatchery!

We simply do not have sufficient wild trout resources in our over populated isle to cater for everyone. Given the time constraints of modern living, many people don't have the time to travel regularly to waters providing good fly fishing for wild fish. Given these two undeniable points the only way to make fly fishing for trout available to more people is through stocked lakes and reservoirs.

This is nothing new, it's been working for the last 40 years! Now in one breath these waters are proclaimed as "providing great sport" while the next, something along the lines of "yet another stockie hit my fly" is written. They are trout be it brown rainbow or otherwise, not stockies!

Ok two points I want to cover now. Firstly trout stocked into reservoirs are no better (or worse for that mater) than trout stocked into small stillwaters. So anglers intimating catching on reservoirs is superior are kidding themselves! Trout in smaller waters are easier to locate because the body of water is smaller. Given this, any trout evading capture or released in smaller waters sees far more anglers, flies, tactics etc than its reservoir brethen. So if we are talking educated fish hear, then many small water fisheries provide a greater challenge than the reservoirs!

Point two, wild verses stocked fish. I fish for both and enjoy it. If you don't like something, don't do it, simple. But don't go around telling other anglers what they enjoy is worthless and unacceptable!

Yeah some days fishing stocked waters is easy, I have found just the same with wild trout! On some tiny streams I've had wild browns grab anything thrown at them, while a recently stocked rainbow in a clearwater lake has refused to accept anything. Likewise, the reverse has been true. So lets cut the crap, share what works, where, when and enjoy what fly fishing has to offer!(sorry the rant just took over! Better stop now!!)

Tight Lines

Steve