Troutnut.com Fly Fishing for Trout Home
User Password
or register.
Scientific name search:

> > Trout characteristics



Post Reply
David82ndJune 16th, 2017, 1:23 pm
Upstate,New York

Posts: 63		Been wondering for awhile on this figured perhaps somebody may share some input ? Like animals in the wild most have specific " territory or areas they will live,roam hunt etc. it's my understanding that they will stay in these areas for the most part ? The trout I see while in the river make me consider this , if trout are territorial and stay in specific areas of that river. Until spawning migration ? Is it a mile ? 5 miles ? I don't know , do they cruise the runs and go back to the beginning of the runs and start back up into it again ? Any input guys ?
David82ndJune 18th, 2017, 5:53 am
Upstate,New York

Posts: 63		Hmmm. Hope you guys are on the river and don't think my question is ridiculous? Lol.
WbranchJune 18th, 2017, 6:00 am
York & Starlight PA

Posts: 2733		Packing for two weeks in Montana and to tell you the truth I just never gave it very much thought.
Catskill fly fisher for fifty-five years.
David82ndJune 18th, 2017, 7:01 am
Upstate,New York

Posts: 63		Enjoy that trip. Would love to fish there , be safe keep us posted
WbranchJune 18th, 2017, 8:15 am
York & Starlight PA

Posts: 2733		David,

I made my first trip to Montana in 1968. I stayed for one month and fished primarily on Armstrong Spring Creek, which was free back then, and Nelson's Spring Creek which had two sessions. Dawn to 1:00 and 1:00 to dark. We always selected the afternoon to night session as the PMD's never started to emerge before 1:30.

That first year I also fished many of the streams and rivers in YNP. I also fished the middle Madison for a few days during the Salmon Fly emergence. Then over to Dillon to fish the Beaverhead and a couple of secret spring creeks.

Starting in 1969 I would drive my VW Campmobile on June 01 and fish pretty much every day until Labor Day. I did that for four years. I fished virtually everywhere in SW Montana. I have never fished, even to this day, the NW waters on the other side of the Continental Divide.

Since 1972 I have typically gone out for between 10 -14 days. In the late 1980's and early 1990's I had a love affair with the Big Horn. It's fame grew to gargantuan proportions and I left the love of my life (only to find even better water far to the west) For the last twenty years I fish exclusively on the Missouri River. I fish primarily between the dam at Holter Lake to a few miles below Craig. A distance of about ten miles.

I have caught more 22" - 24" brown trout and rainbows 20" -21" in the Missouri than all the other rivers combined that I have fish in Montana, New York, or Pennsylvania.
Catskill fly fisher for fifty-five years.
Jmd123June 18th, 2017, 2:31 pm
Oscoda, MI

Posts: 2611		David, trout are indeed territorial. The biggest one in the reach will occupy the best feeding/shelter habitats; the next biggest one will occupy the second best habitat; and so on down the hierarchy, the little guys being forced out into the middle by larger fish who won't let them hide (or might eat them!). They will certainly change locations during spawning time unless their home range is near a nice gravel riffle. Otherwise, they will move to find riffles for spawning, and they will move to find colder water (e.g., springs, colder tribs) during the heat of summer. I have also heard that fish caught and released will often move afterwards because they now associate that location with a "bad experience" and don't want it to happen again. This would not surprise me, but I have no data or even anecdotes on it. Perhaps others on here have some experiences to relate?

Jonathon
No matter how big the one you just caught is, there's always a bigger one out there somewhere...
David82ndJune 18th, 2017, 2:40 pm
Upstate,New York

Posts: 63		Thank you jonathon, puts things in perspective. , makes sense ,
AfishinadoJune 19th, 2017, 2:54 am
SE PA

Posts: 76		Below is a really interesting and informative article titled "Wild Trout are Travelers" detailing when, why, where and if trout move in our streams and rivers:

http://www.patrout.org/docs/reference-materials/traveling_trout.pdf?sfvrsn=2
David82ndJune 19th, 2017, 3:12 am
Upstate,New York

Posts: 63		That's a nice read , thank you

Quick Reply

You have to be logged in to post on the forum. It's this easy:
Username:          Email:

Password:    Confirm Password:

I am at least 13 years old and agree to the rules.

Related Discussions

TitleRepliesLast Reply
SALMONFLY FESTIVAL on the Madison River
In General Discussion by Wiflyfisher		0
A Couple Hours on a Small Brown trout stream
In Fishing Reports by Motrout		0
Re: Neophyte questions...
In Beginner Help by Coralrives		5Sep 19, 2013
by Crepuscular
Re: Montana
In General Discussion by Motrout		6Sep 5, 2010
by Jesse
Montana: The Yellowstone River
In Fishing Reports by Martinlf		0
Two Days on a beautiful river
In Fishing Reports by Motrout		0
Re: Skwala question
In Skwala Stonefly Nymph by Gillybilly		6Feb 20, 2020
by Leskorcala
Re: Not much biting...but here's a pretty one!
In the Photography Board by Jmd123		1Jun 19, 2022
by Michimike
Re: Clarks Fork & Bitteroot River
In General Discussion by Wbranch		3Jan 21, 2008
by Wbranch
My trip to the San Juan River (part 3)
In General Discussion by Mcflyangler		0